Direct mail is a way of specifically targeting your potential customers. It is very popular because you can really focus on a particular group. Whether its region, income, household, business, ages, sex, etc, direct mail can really be very specific as to who it's reaching. The drawback from this is that the market is saturated with thousands of other advertisers trying to get their message through and the cost is high. The cost is high because there are several items that need to be acquired before a successful campaign is attempted.

The List
The first thing to think about is your list. Who will be ultimately receiving your flyers? Have you been collecting your customer's contact information?  If you have been in business, you should already have a list of current customers and their contact information. Those are the best contacts to have, because they are already interested in your products. If you have not been collecting contact information, start! There are several ways to gather the information, through your website or offer a drawing...whatever it takes!  It's very valuable information and also increases the value of your business.

Ultimately, you can purchase a list. If you are new in business or would like to expand your customer base, there are hundreds of services that sell lists. You can be very specific as to an area. If you are a retailer, you want to stick within 5 miles of your establishment, a little longer if more rural. Otherwise you may be wasting those dollars.  If you're a service provider you may want to concentrate on certain neighborhoods. Think about what other demographics are important for reaching your customers. The lists are available through the United States Postal Service, other services online or through marketing firms.

The Flyer
Next you want to think about the actual flyer. You will need to have something professionally printed and of good quality. You want to make a good impression. If they see bad flyers, they will think you have bad products or services. So, spend the time to have a professionally designed and printed piece. Make sure it stands out. A boring flyer will get you nowhere. You can make your piece original in many ways and if you cannot figure out how, find someone who can. Just remember, the more original the shape or size, the more expensive it is going to be to deliver it.

Sending out a direct piece with no offer is like waving to someone going down the road. Its nice, but you probably won't get any sales out of it. There needs to be a hook. An offer or discount that will peak interest and compel someone to keep your flyer. 

Once you have your marketing piece designed you will need to have it printed, labeled and mailed.

Labeling
Most printing companies offer direct mail services. These services are usually cost effective and a great way to save a little time, frustration, and postage. Once your piece is printed the same facility can usually set up everything for you. You download your list, or can sometime even buy your list from the same company. They will usually charge you a service fee for labeling and cleaning up your list. It is very important that your service checks the integrity of your list and make sure there are no duplicate addresses, the changes of addresses are up to date and that your coding is accurate.

Postage
The service provider usually has a bulk mailing rate based on the number of items they have mailed. The more mail, the cheaper it is to send something. By keeping your size to a standard one and using a bulk mailing service's rates, you can usually get your piece down to about $.21 to $24 per piece for postage to mail. It is up to you and your designer to know exactly what those sizes are. The USPS offers a complete resource area with templates and important dimensions.

Mailing
Once you have paid for postage, your mailing will be sent out within a few business days. Your service should finish by handing you a confirmation from the postal service of completion of your services.

So when you're asking yourself why is this direct mail thing so expensive keep these fees in mind:

1. The mailing list
   
2. The design
   
3. The printing
   
4. The mailing service
   
5. The postage
   

The Return
According to many reporting services the response rate is 1 to 2%. The best way to use direct marketing is in a campaign where the flyer is part of a larger campaign. You should follow up with a phone call or place other advertisements at the same time to reinforce your business presence.

       "Should I have a website?"  Absolutely!  Everyone with a business, no matter how small or large should invest in a website.  Websites can be simple and small, as long as they are easy to navigate and offer the information your customer's request, your customers and potential customers will visit.
     Websites are an infinite platform to fully explain your products or services. What information you cannot get into a 30 sec radio or t.v. spot, you can easily get on a web page. It is a great way to give the whole story of your business without a time constraint or having to pay for every second you are "up."  Websites have become the standard for business information. This allows your customers to know everything you are willing to share with them about your business. 
     The accessibility of a website mainly means convenience. It is easier to look up a business online than by flipping through thousands of pages to find the right contact information. And then, only getting a phone number. Now they have to call and ask all the questions you could have easily answered on your site.  But information is just one benefit.
    Websites also offer expansion to your existing business. If you are a small retail clothing store, you can also add your products to the site for sale. You can also announce your upcoming sales and fashions before they are actually in your store. There are many ways to gather the information of people visiting your site who have interest, providing you with a list of shoppers who are already interested in your products. You can them send out email blasts promoting your store.
     Many business owners are actual experts in their field or can at least help other people understand their specific field. A blog is a great way to not only beef up your content, but also offer helpful information to others that may be interested in learning more.
     Bloggers usually host advertising on their sites to generate additional income. There are many affiliate programs out there to take advantage of for this purpose. This is a great way to generate income if you have a steady customer base. Otherwise the advertisers are just taking up space. 
     For advertising there are several programs out there to take advantage of but it is best to place advertising of the same interests to your site. That way you are reemphasizing your products or services. All of the major search engines offer advertising programs and some even offer a free start up program of $25 to $75 to sign up. Most of the programs are very easy to manage and start up.

What should I have on my website?
 The information needed in a simple starter website is below:
1. Contact Information
2. Interactive map to your business location
3. Products and Services you offer and any other information associated with them
4. About the business, business owners, employees, etc.
5. Links to organizations or affiliations you may have

The more information the better, as long as it is useful information. Some of the other items that can be added for a more interesting site are rss feeds, slideshows and galleries, you tube videos, flash animations, audio player for music, contact forms, social networking, file uploads, etc. You have many options today for expanding your business. It is up to you to take advantage of them.


Feel free to email me with any questions you may have. [email protected]

     I was asked recently what information should be printed on a business card.  So I thought I would try to make it easy to understand and hopefully helpful to someone else asking the same question. 
     First and foremost, the role of a business card is a tool. A tool that gives someone your contact information so they may later contact you when they actually need your product or service. It gives people all the information needed to make contact in any way, such as fax, cell or toll free numbers.
    The business card can be in any form, it does not necessarily have to be the standard 2"x3.5" size that approximately 95% of people print. But it needs to be legible and hold all of the necessary information. 
     Below is a list of the necessities as far as contact information goes:

• Name of contact (you)
  
• Title
• Identity & business name (Logo)
• Contact numbers (Phone and fax)
• Address of business
• Email address
• Website address
• Your company's main message or slogan     

     It seems that the more contact information you have on there the better. Do not overcrowd your card listing the 20 services you handle, create a brochure for those services. A simple slogan or message, along with your contact information is all you need on that format.
     Electronic business cards are really starting to become popular. With a simple text message from your smart phone to someone else's smart phone, all of your contact information can be saved into their phone. No printing needed. Only one problem, not everyone yet has a smart phone, so we always need to keep the standard business cards handy.
     A valued special offer is a great way to further encourage someone to save your card for future use or a map giving the exact location. Many people use the back to print a yearly calendar. This is another incentive for people to keep the card. And many people will keep a calendar for reference in their wallet.
    There are many people out there that would say you should invest thousands into your cards on folds and die cuts, etc. And you certainly can do a lot to them to make them stand out, including printing to plastics or using metallic inks. Whatever you decide, make sure it fits into your overall image and be consistent in your message.  You do not want it to lose its purpose; which is to have all of our contact information in a neat easy to read place so it can bring you more business.