Dear Customer,
Welcome to the first edition of the VIP Ezine. An
Ezine is an opt-in electronic newsletter.
Our objective with this bi-weekly ezine is to answer the
most commonly asked questions by our customers and to educate
readers on tools and trends in the marketing arena.
We encourage you to forward this to a friend or business
associate to spread the word and invite more questions and
topics valuable for growing your business. Click on
the Forward To A Friend button below.
If you do not wish to continue receiving this ezine,
please click on the Manage Your Subscription
link at the bottom of this page.
Comments and suggestions are encouraged.
Enjoy!
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| Why
Is Direct Mail On The Rise? |
|
Because it
WORKS!
Let's face it, if companies were investing in
direct mail campaigns with no return, they would
stop. The fact that direct mail continues to
increase in volume is a clear indication that the investment
pays off. Now the question is why? The answer is
simple:
1) Email blasts are not
effective.
Due to spam filters, privacy and opt-out regulations,
and consumer fear of viruses, email blasts are no longer
effective. This is not to say that email has no role
in your marketing efforts. On the contrary, email has
become an extremely effective tool for
communicating with those people who already know
that they want to hear from
you. Ezines are a perfect example. Direct
Mail, however, is aimed at those who do not yet know
that they want to hear from you.
2) Currently, "no mail
list" laws don't exist, so the field is wide
open.
3) Advances and
integration in printing and web
technology have increased the return rate of direct
mail. Let's Find out
why...
|
| Changes in Direct Mail
Technology |
In today's
market, there are three types of direct mail:
1) Static Mail
2) Variable Data Print
(VDP)
3) VDP with Personalized URL's
(PURL's)
Direct mail
used to be very straight forward. A generic
postcard or letter designed to appeal to thousands of
recipients came to your house. You glanced at it
and threw it away. This is called "static" direct
mail. Average response was between 1% to 2%.
Within the last 5
years there has been a dramatic increase in Variable Data
Print (VDP) direct mail. This new technology allows the
sender to customize the card to you based on information the
sender has about you. This may include your name, the
type of car you own, the age of your house, the names of your
children, or even your favorite sport. So now the mail
arrives at your house and will say "Dear Bob," (let's assume
your name is Bob) to get your attention. Use of VDP
direct mail can increase response rate by 5 to 10
times!
While VDP was
still in it's infancy, marketers realized the value of linking
direct mail to the web and developed PURLs. Have you
ever received a piece of direct mail and they wanted you to go
to a website to respond? Not just any website, but www.buysomething.com/Bob!
(yes, your name is still Bob). This personalized web
address is known as a PURL. When you browse this
website, the company will have personalized that web page
using any information they have about you. This web page
will also start collecting more information about you for the
marketer's future use.
So why use VDP and
PURLS? Research has shown that consumers will actually
READ the direct mail if there is personal information on the
piece. Even more astounding, consumers are curious
enough about what the sender may know about them to visit the
website. Can you imagine response rates of 20% to direct
mail?
Want to
find out how to achieve this may work for your
business? Read more in our next
issue ...
|
| Create
An Effective Direct Mail
Campaign |
|
Over the
next 3 issues, we will lay out an effective plan for
executing a direct mail campaign.
From planning and market segment
targeting, to list purchase, piece design, and
distribution, and then finally and most importantly,
follow-up.
| |
|
Join
Our List |
| Subscribe
Now |
| Not willing to
wait until our next issue to find out
more? Call us
today at 770.783.2332 to talk about how Direct
Mail can bring more customers to your
doorstep! |
|
Marketing
Tips |
|
Complete one small marketing
task per day to put your marketing campaign into
overdrive.
Any one of the
following can be completed in 10 minutes or
less:
- Register
yourself with one new internet directory
site.
- Read one
article on sales or marketing strategy.
- Schedule
coffee or lunch with a business associate to
talk marketing.
- Send one
thank you letter to a customer.
- Follow up with one
customer that you have not heard from in 6
months or
more.
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