Tag: Direct

Why Your Business Should Invest Into Direct Mail

Like any good entrepreneur, I’m always thinking of ways that I can develop and grow our businesses and brands. One of the best marketing strategies does not occur in the digital world. Each week, one of my companies sends out over 1,000 pieces of direct mail. We have an excellent response rate, even with a younger demographic target audience.

Think about it; people are deluged with emails, social media posts and instant messaging. In the digital world, it’s a novelty to receive a great piece of direct response material in the mail. However, there are a few differences in what we do in our direct mail than what was done in the old school days.

  • We experiment with all types of colorful pieces.
  • We rarely send any letter.
  • The pieces are always vibrant with images and very little copy.

There are a couple of reasons why your business should consider direct response to prospect and grow your business.

  • Response Rate: Last year, Compu-mail noted, “Direct mail household response rate is 5.1% (compared to.6% email,.6% paid search,.2 online display,.4% social media). This is the highest response rate the DMA has ever reported, since coming out with the Response Rate Report in 2003.
  • Personalization: When your prospects receive mail (not including bills), particularly those who are of Generation X or older, there is a familiar feeling. The older generations still like to receive something in the mail with their names on it. They can touch the piece, and there’s something novel about it in today’s world.
  • Generational Myth: Believe it or not, a sizable portion of Millennials also like direct response because it’s something they too can touch and hold. According to a Forbes article, 36 percent of people under the age of 30 like to check their mailboxes, and 95 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 have a favorable view of mail, such as personalized cards.
  • QR Codes and PURLs: Companies have been experimenting with testing QR and PURLs (personal URLs), which redirects a person who receives a piece of mail back into the digital age. Since most people now have a smartphone, these codes can be scanned by the target audience for more information.
  • Messaging: If you’re doing a particular project or sale, consider using direct mail to bolster the urgency. My team and I have gotten high response rates to direct mail pieces that have had a deadline to partner with our companies. One of the key reasons we have seen this work is because with all of the emails people receive, lots of times they are dismissing this form of communication quickly just to get through their email box.
  • Multi-channel Marketing: Direct response is an excellent way to support your digital marketing efforts. We know that people have to see your brand and logo multiple times for it to begin to “stick” in their minds. Direct mail helps reinforce your brand’s digital efforts. Prospects not only see you in the digital world but also in the “real world.”
  • Testing: Direct mail provides your business with an opportunity to test another method for reaching out to your prospects. We’ve tested direct response with high-level prospects in our target audience, and the new accounts we’ve obtained has paid for the mailing expenses
  • Easy Analytics: Direct mail results are straightforward to understand. You don’t need to have anyone on your team sign-into a digital platform to pull a report for you. Direct response provides you an easy way to see how much you spent against the amount of new business you achieved.
  • Credibility: Direct mail, because it’s familiar and tactile, gives the recipients an automatic sense of your credibility. We live in a world of “fake news” and raging social media debates about content in the digital space that is authentic and real. Direct response cuts through the noise and instantly gives credibility because of the investment and its familiarity.
  • Creativity: Direct response is an excellent way to experiment with color, size, shape and different packaging for your pieces. Sophisticated marketers are experimenting with many different types of mailings to stand out from a regular sized and traditional letter and envelope, which encourages people to look at the piece.

The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) has reported that direct mail has declined. However, in a digital world where people are inundated with massive amounts of content, direct mail stands out as a creative way to cut through the noise. At the very least, direct mail is an excellent complement your digital efforts, and at best, it’s a great way to obtain new business.

Direct Mail Marketing For CPAs And Accountants

In the accounting industry, direct mail marketing can be very cost effective. CPAs and Accountants are fortunate to be in an industry where they are able to purchase a database, which provides precise information on potential clients. This makes marketing with direct mail a very cost effective approach to develop new clients.

The first thing a CPA Accountant will need to do is purchase a list of businesses that meet the criteria a CPA Accountant establishes to qualify a client for his or her firm. There are many criteria a CPA Accountant may choose, but the most common are, location, number of employees, sales volume, and industry. Some list companies will even provide limited credit information. It is best to generally select locations closest to your office. Most compiling companies use databases with zip codes to establish locations. Accordingly, the CPA Accountant should start by providing the zip code for his or her office working a radius outward until the desired number of businesses on the list is reached.

Once the criterion is established, the Accountant is now ready to purchase a database. Info USA and Dunn & Brad Street are perhaps two of the largest companies that compile and sell database information for resale. It is recommended the list be purchased from one of these two companies. They are reliable and have been in business a long time. Unfortunately, there are many companies selling list information that are not reliable and that have high error rates. Many other companies are basically just list brokers who purchased a list wholesale from one of those two companies and then resell it to you. It makes sense to always purchase your list from a database compiling company, which has a proven reliable record.

With the list purchased, the Accountant now has a defined target market of potential business that could be good clients for his or her firm. Direct mailing to the defined target is cost effective. The CPA Accountant is not incurring costs of marketing outside of his or her target market. Radio, television, and newspapers all broadcast or publish to the general public. Advertising in these forms of media would subject the CPA Accountant to incurring cost communicating outside of his or her target market. Direct mail focuses the cost of communication to his or her defined target market.

There are three basic rules the CPA Accountant must follow in direct-mail marketing. The first rule is always use professional letterhead and envelopes. Many times Accountants generate “in house” their own business stationary giving it a “home made appearance.” The CPA’s direct mail piece is the first representation of his or her firm’s work that a potential client might experience. The CPA desires his or her marketing piece to be of the highest quality. A professional appearing CPA Accountant direct mail marketing letter to a profession or business will be opened while a low grade appearing letter is often just discarded.

The second rule is never use bulk mail or mailing labels. When unsolicited mail is received, the business owner will look at it and make a decision. Does this look like something he or she should open? The decision is then based on visible attributes of the CPA’s direct marketing envelop labeling. If the labeling of the envelope was with a pre-printed mailing label accompanied with a bulk mail stamp, most likely the letter will never be opened and will be discarded. However, if the Accountant directly labeled the envelope with postage paid via a metered or regular first class stamp, the envelope will appear important influencing the decision to open the letter.

After the business owner decides to open the Accountant’s letter, he or she will always scan the piece to discern quickly if it is of interest. The third rule is to always keep the letter short and to the point. The prospective client will quickly determine if it is interesting and short enough to read while not consuming much time. A common mistake CPA Accountants make is attempting to write long lengthy letters to “sell themselves”. This is a very costly mistake. The objective of the letter is to initiate a positive response. Once a prospective client responds positively, he or she will be provided an opportunity to convey those things in subsequent conversations and meetings enticing him or her to use the CPA Accountant’s services.

In addition to the three basic rules, it is always recommended the CPA Accountant include a business card with the direct mail letter. This will allow the prospective client to locate the CPA Accountant’s contact information and retain it for future reference. It is also recommended that the CPA Accountant refrain from using postcards in direct mail marketing for the accounting industry. They have a commodity appearance diminishing the perception of the quality of the CPA Accountant’s firm. Finally, always use industry-specific direct mail pieces whenever possible.

In summary, direct mail marketing for CPA Accountants can be very cost effective. The use of target markets avoids spending advertising dollars outside of the target audience. It is important to always follow the three basic rules for direct mail marketing for CPAs and Accountants. The costs of violating those rules can be enormous. Marketing for CPA Accountants does not have to be expensive but can be very cost effective if implemented correctly.

20 Ways to Increase Sales With Direct Mail Letters

1. Adapt letter-headed paper

If you’re using company letterhead for direct mail then adapt it to your requirements. The company name and selling benefit should stand out. If you want people to email you, then the email address should stand out. If you want them to phone, then make the phone number prominent. Use the footer as a place to increase sales by drawing attention to a trade association or quality control mark. Make legal information as small as possible.

2. Postal replies

Do you want potential customers to reply by post? Include a pre-paid envelope.

3. Long letters

Don’t be afraid to write long letters (over a page). Nobody will buy something without enough information to make a decision. Keep selling until you have run out of sales points. Every word should be relevant – no rambling.

4. Be friendly

Address your letter to a known person if at all possible because it shows that you care who they are. Second best is to address them by their job or interest, eg. ‘Dear Dog Owner’. The worst salutation is ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.

Sign off in a friendly way. Instead of a secretary signing the letter on your behalf, sign it yourself. Include your Christian name and a friendly title. ‘Customer Services Manager’ says that your company cares about its customers.

5. Powerful headlines

At the top of the letter write a headline that communicates the product’s main benefit. It gives the potential customer a reason to read on. Keep it clear and simple – think communication not clever word play.

6. Powerful openings

Grab your reader’s attention. Study magazine articles and newspapers. How do they it? What works? Use your research. Here is a list of letter openers to get you started: http://www.procopytips.com/sales-letter-openers

7. Subheadings

Subheadings make letters digestible. Each subheading should sell the product.

8. Ask for what you want

Don’t beat about the bush. If you want your reader to buy your soaps then tell them so. If you want them to take out a subscription, ask them to sign up (and make it super easy). Ask straight away – don’t leave it until the middle of the letter.

9. Talk benefits

Know the difference between features and benefits. Instead of saying ‘the X65 lawnmower has a barrel of sixty rotating blades’ say ‘the X65 lawnmower develops a healthy lawn within weeks’. Decide which is the most important benefit and put that first. All the other benefits follow.

10. Make it personal

Address the reader as if you were sitting beside them. Make it about them and not you. Every time you write ‘we’ try and change it to ‘you’.

11. Emphasise important points

Emphasise important words by using bold or underline, but don’t overdo it or the power is lost. Indent to emphasise key paragraphs.

12. Make sure the letter flows

Guide the reader gently from one point to another. Sentences should be linked (‘what’s more… ‘, ‘but… ) and ideas should be set out in logical order.

13. Entice the reader to act

Your letter must end with a ‘call to action’. Now you’ve (hopefully!) sold the reader make it easy for them to act. Don’t make it complicated by providing lots of alternatives which involve decisions. Give an incentive too: ‘reply by 20th August and you will receive a free watch’.

14. Provide reassurance

Make sure the reader knows they can’t lose. For instance, say you won’t take payment until the product has been dispatched or that they won’t be charged for 60 days.

15. Use a PS

When you receive a letter do your eyes go straight to the PS? So do your reader’s. There should be a new ‘just remembered’ benefit here to seal the sale.

16. Make it a parcel

You don’t have to send a letter on its own. A creative package is likely to generate a higher response rate. You could include a sample of your product or a promotional item which will be a constant reminder of your company eg. a drink coaster or a pen.

17. Include a reply device

Pre-paid postcards with tick boxes make life easy for potential customers. If you can print their name and address for them, all the better. Reassure people that a salesman will not call and that they are under no obligation to buy.

18. Include an endorsement

Comments from satisfied customers go a long way as do market research statistics: ‘85% of our customers have used us for over 2 years’. Always be truthful. Never be tempted to lie – to do so cheats your customers and undermines your reputation.

19. Involve the reader

Ask rhetorical questions: ‘What would you do if… ? Write questions that potential customers might ask and answer them: ‘How much will it cost?’ Provide an example of a company or individual who reaped the benefits of your product: ‘When James & Son bought our product they halved their production costs in a week’.

20. Overcome objections

Make a list of all the possible reasons your customer might have not to buy. Decide how you would answer these objections and put them in your letter. For example: ‘I can’t afford it now’ could be solved with an easy payment plan. If you think people will want to compare deals with other providers then provide a comparison chart.

Advantages Of Having A Direct Inward Dial Number

Every company makes use of certain communication system to get connected to his employees. Communication is an integral part of any business. Thus, various companies use direct inward dial number to reduce the cost of calls. This is a telecommunication services offered by telephone companies to all those subscribers who operate private branch exchange system.

These direct inward dial services provide every employee their own toll-free number. Like in case of a company if a client wants to talk to an employer, he directly gets connected to that particular employer instead of a receptionist diverting a call to that particular employer.

The benefits of having a direct inward dial number-

-A direct inward dial number is easy to get and it saves lots of money as one need not purchase multiple connections and multiple telephones. In fact, for managing these telephones, there is a requirement of an attendant to look after incoming or outgoing calls. All these lead of reduction in cost.

– It saves a lot of time as one receives the calls directly without any intervention of a mediator. This is the actual benefit of having a direct inward dial number.

-Higher costumer appreciation- costumer feels that they are provided with better services when they are able to make direct contact with the desired person without intervention of a mediator thus saving time and efforts. This is most comforting for a costumer to talk to an employee directly.

-Communication becomes effective as no calls go unattended. In fact, one does not need an in-house PBX for every connection. Thus, this makes the work even easier.

-One can manage communication with ease and communication remains efficient throughout the process.

-Cost effective as it is cheaper than normal phone calls. Once registered everything is free which includes installation as well.

-Direct inward dial number allows easy access to its services. They provide the users with a page which provides all the necessary details for managing the account.

– Customisation is considered another best and desired feature. Through this option one has the option of entering the last 4 digits of his choice. If already chosen, then few other options are displayed. And the user is supposed to choose from those numbers displayed.

-Easy implementation-

One need not to give a second thought prior to the implementation of a direct inward dial number as it is easy to implement these services. One just needs to fill the online form and payment details to avail the facilities.

-Easy cancellation-

Like implementation, cancellation is also really easy. These services are provided on a monthly basis. As soon as one wants to opt out he/she just need to notify. If he/she didn’t recharge, his subscription will get expired.

These services are best as they provide many SIP trunk likes to get connected with the PBX. As mentioned earlier, no calls go unanswered as for convenience; these calls are forwarded to a mobile phone as well. One has to even choose a call forwarding setting for allowing call forwarding.

In fact, for emergency services the newer dial inward dial number is available which get setup within 5 minutes.

Offline Businesses – The Most Effective Online Marketing Uses Direct Marketing Strategies

Direct marketing in the offline world has grown to huge proportions, becoming a very professional industry in which the biggest players are immensely successful. And these same direct marketing strategies and techniques are the hallmark of the most successful Internet marketing businesses, etc. In fact, every direct marketing professional should consider Internet marketing as a career or at least a sideline for additional income streams.

Direct mail pieces in the offline business world become email blasts online – and with more and more email programs now HTML capable, can be just as glossy and heavily designed as their offline counterpart. And just as direct marketers buy targeted leads or use location-based mail drops, Internet marketing pros rent email lists, buy solo ads and buy leads.

Direct marketing techniques also include classified ads and TV infomercials – online there are a number of classified-ad sites, some international and many based on certain locals. And video sharing sites are perfect for displaying TV-style commercials, infomercials, product demonstrations, etc.

And the ‘golden lists’ or the big Direct Mail houses, those lists of targeted leads that buy from them regularly, are no different than the customer lists online. Just as direct marketers have a pre-written series of e-mails and offers that go out to their previous customers on a regular basis, so too do online marketers who use pre-written autoresponder series to follow up with each purchaser.

If you own and/or operate an offline business in direct marketing, learn all you can about the strategies, tools and techniques being used by successful Internet marketing pros and use that knowledge to increase bottom line profits considerably. While some online regulations, like the anti-spam laws, make parts a little trickier in compliance, it’s more than made up for by the low cost of email blasts, the lack of lead time required for printing, and the free video hosting the video sharing sites provide. Start by putting every commercial and infomercial in your current library online at sites like YouTube, Viddler and Daily Motion and you’re already well on your way.

And if you’re currently working in the direct marketing industry with no equity in the company that employs you, consider starting a part-time job in online marketing and building it into your own full-time Internet marketing or affiliate marketing business. You have the skills so start investigating this low-startup-costs online industry for your own future today!

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