Several prospects have asked me how to set up a direct mail marketing campaign. A direct mail campaign includes the following items.
Campaign Strategy
Define the target audience, select a message, and write advertisement “copy.” A full-service agency would charge a substantial amount for defining the campaign strategy and message; so many small business owners prefer to make these decisions in-house.
Graphic Design
Decide the appearance of the mailer. Fully custom high-end agency photography & design can be spendy but amazing. Low-cost template-based solutions and stock photos often look “pretty good.” Be sure to abide by copyright laws and licensing requirements for any stock photo you use. If you don’t already work with a graphic designer, many print shops offer graphic design services at a reduced price, when you order printing services.
Mailing List
This is the fun part! Based on the characteristics of the campaign’s intended audience, you get to select which individual people will receive your mailer.
House List
Most small business owners find they get a much better Return On Investment (ROI) from a house list, than they get from a purchased list. Your previous customers are your most likely future customers. They are more likely to place repeat orders from you, or recommend you to their friends, if you keep yourself at the top of their minds by sending out mailers.
Purchased List
If you are trying to enter a new market, or if your customers rarely provide their contact information, then you may need to purchase a mailing list. If you just want to send something to every household in a given ZIP code, you may wish to talk to the Post Office, they can make this easy. If your budget doesn’t allow for a campaign that size, or if your market is more narrowly defined, then you will be looking at purchasing a list. Pricing for mailing lists is competitive. You can find a number of list providers if you search your favorite search engine for “mailing lists.” Alternatively many print shops will work with you to
Keep in mind that purchased lists have a high rate of returned mail. I’ve seen some 10% of a campaign’s mailers returned “Undeliverable” when sent to a purchased list. This can hit your ROI, so budget for this in your projections.
Printing and Fulfillment
This is the crucial final element of your direct mail marketing campaign. If you are uncertain of any of the particulars of your order, ask your sales representative: they can recommend a stock, coating, and item size for your project. Many print shops provide mailing fulfillment services. This means that after they print the items for you, they also print the individual addresses on the piece (Variable Data Printing), add postage (permit for large mailings, stamps for small mailings), and put the mailers in the mail for you. The print shop is your friend! If you are in the Salem area, you may enjoy working with companies like Select Impressions or ABC Printers. There are a number of others.
Track Results
Once your mailers go out, try to collect data about response rates. If your mailer includes an offer code or coupon, this is a great way of identifying which purchases were based on the mailer. Total revenue due to this campaign, divided by the cost of the campaign, is your Return On Investment!