BHP Printing Blog

Sales letters and postcards are two very different, but popular, direct mail formats that can produce powerful results. Recognizing the unique benefits of each can help you choose the right match for your next campaign.

When to send direct mail letters

The strength of a sales letter is the amount of space you have. This is the format to use for telling a lengthy sales story. Sometimes the details of your offer simply can’t be conveyed in a few words. This is especially true if your product or service has a high price point, since big purchases require more convincing than smaller ones.

Copy that spans multiple pages can actually increase a target’s involvement with your piece, which could translate into higher response. In addition, you can package a letter with reply cards, coupons, testimonials, brochures and other relevant sales materials that could likewise increase your mailer’s effectiveness.

Consider sending a sales letter to:

• Introduce your business
• Share updates about your services or products
• Offer exclusive discounts to a targeted group

When to send direct mail postcards

A direct mail postcard’s greatest strength is its accessibility. This is the format to use for quickly connecting with your audience. By not hiding your offer in an envelope, you boost the chances that it will be seen. Take advantage of the opportunity by crafting a message that is direct, concise and easy to understand.

Postcards also are generally less expensive to produce and mail than sales letters. Their lower cost makes them ideal for testing elements like offers and mailing lists before launching full-blown campaigns. In addition, postcards are less formal than letters, so you can communicate more casually.

Consider sending a direct mail postcard to:

• Drive traffic to a website
• Present special offers and coupons and announce sales
• Thank recent customers and keep in contact with lapsed ones

Of course, you don’t need to use letters and direct mail postcards in isolation. They can work well together, too. You could send a postcard to follow up on a sales letter, for example, or send a postcard as a “teaser” for a forthcoming sales letter. Both formats also could be useful elements in a larger, integrated campaign.

Original article - Deliver Magazine

Trish Witkowski is a marketing expert who teaches business owners about the many distinct and creative ways that they can bend, seal, crease and deliver their direct mailer.

“If you can pique someone’s interest with direct mail, you’re one step closer to getting a higher response rate and a bigger return on your investment,” Witkowski explains.

“You want the best chance to get the attention of the recipient and folding is one component that is underutilized. So many creative things can be done with direct mail, and I don’t think we, as an industry, are taking advantage of the opportunity.”

With Direct Mail an intricate fold or creative bend can make your next marketing piece all the more effective.

(click on images to enlarge)

Print is effective in a powerful and visual way.

Witkowski, the founder of foldfactory.com, a company that builds dynamic templates for folded materials, says digital media campaigns are most effective when combined with direct mail. She speaks about the importance of print and sees it as a viable method for getting a targeted audience to take notice.

“Print has always been a highly effective form of communication. With all of the enhanced direct mail technologies available, we can print shorter runs to a more targeted audience. There can be a lot of value in spending a little more per piece on a high-impact solution that can be mailed to a smaller group of high-quality prospects.”
 
Liven up your campaigns and spend additional time, energy and resources to create mailings that are appealing and customer friendly.

Contact Blue Hill Press for help in creating, designing and printing your direct mail piece.

Original article – Deliver Magazine

These days your potential customers are bombarded with messages. With e-mail, texting, connecting on social networking sites, hundreds of television channels, viewing online videos and listening to satellite radio, they see hundreds of product messages a day.

Marketers should understand that all mediums can work with direct mail in new and interesting ways that get results. By taking advantage of diversified channels, you can add impact, build engagement and strengthen your database.

For instance, catalogs drive more traffic to your websites and increases the amount people spend when they get there.

Likewise, you can use direct mail marketing to promote an upcoming store event. For a bigger impact send an e-mail soon after and promote the event on social networking sites. The day of the event, grow your database by gathering information from every attendee, then follow up with a custom direct mail piece to your newly expanded list.

3 ways direct mail integration can help gather customer data

Combining marketing channels can help you capture customer data in other ways, too.

• Direct mail can drive targets to a personalized URL where they can see customized information and fill out a profile.
• Mail and mobile can be combined.
• Social networking followers can be invited to join your mailing list to receive a free product sample or discount.

As your database gets stronger, you will begin to understand how your targets want to communicate with you and which mediums best complement your direct mail efforts.

By keeping the tone, look and feel of your message consistent across multiple media, you’ll also gain increased brand awareness. Contact Blue Hill Press for assistance with your direct mail campaign.

Original article – Deliver Magazine

You have heard all the benefits of direct mail, and you have even heard a few success stories. But maybe you are still confused as to where to start.

First you need to plan your approach. Don’t decide on the big picture campaign until you know what you want to accomplish and with whom.

Second, create a mailing list. Look at that list as more than names and addresses. Be sure the socioeconomics meet your needs. Also, consider variable data printing so you can personally add each name in the salutation. Also, you don’t need to waste money on addresses that aren’t current.

Thirdly, create your direct mail piece. Have a professional help you develop it and print it. Do you want a letter or a postcard. A direct mail sales letter and a direct mail postcard are two very different things and there are scenarios where one would work better than the other.

Fourth, send out your direct mail piece!  Be sure to talk with your printer about cost effective ways to mail your marketing piece. 

Contact Blue Hill Press for more ideas and help in designing an effective direct mail piece. 

When it comes to reaching both existing and potential clients, direct mail is a great option. Even with the internet, a direct mail piece is still a great way to keep you in front of your clients and customers. Every direct mail piece can serve as a reminder to existing and potential clients of your goods and services.

Besides brand recognition, direct mail post cards give you complete control of the message you are sending out.  You can target your prospects by getting information directly in front of them.

Direct Mail, when done right is a cost-effective piece of marketing. Done right means the piece is well put together, eye-catching, and has the right message. But direct mailers also need the right presentation, with a call-to-action. When a direct mail piece is done correctly, you can close a sale faster.  This is where Blue Hill Press can help you.

Build your business with Blue Hill Press. We can help you create professional, informative and concise direct mail pieces, contact us.