Is Direct Mail Dead or New Uses for Old Tactics

Direct Mail, Printing, Social Media, variable data printing

The first half of the title of this post is a question I get, in some variation, quite frequently these days. You could change the subject to email or face to face networking or press releases, but the implication is always that some long established marketing tactic has been supplanted by Twitter or Facebook.

My answer is always the same – nothing is dead – but the ways we use them have changed.

My take is that if you establish a strong marketing strategy, one that helps you build trust, and you fully understand the behavior and objectives of your ideal customer, then you can use almost any tactic to build your business.

In fact, some of the more “traditional” offline approaches have never been more effective when fused with technology and newer online approaches.

Digital has changed the customer communication environment fundamentally over the years and caused many to forgo the traditional broadcast tools.

But, smart marketers are discovering new ways to use old tools that are more in line with inbound marketing practices and are taking advantage of technology leaps to make a tactic like direct mail even more effective.

I return once again, as I do often, to my definition of marketing – getting someone who has a need to know, like and trust you – if you can find a way to use a tactic to do that, than no tactic is dead or even out of bounds.

Even the often maligned Twitter auto DM is fair game if you can find a way to use it to build trust – the fact is few can, but my point is there are no set rules or magic tactics in this game.

Here are a few examples of new uses for old tactics:

  • Use variable data printing on demand printing to create highly personalized direct mail pieces with unique images, stories and calls to action based on your customer database. The technology is there to do this in small batches with hundreds of variations.
  • Use technology to produce postcards that invite each recipient to a personal landing page that features information tailored to their interests and alerts a sales team to initiate a further contact.
  • Use traditional broadcast and print advertising to drive prospects to a series of free online videos that educate, entertain and inform – oh, and build know, like and trust.

Reaching markets and creating buzz about our products and services still requires an integrated approach – that part won’t ever change, but before you drop a proven way to reach your prospects from the mix consider how you might use it build trust instead of move product.

Originally posted by John Jantsch on ducttapemarketing.com

Generate Better Returns with Custom Direct Mail

data lists, Direct Mail, Printing, variable data printing

When Macy’s Inc. was established as a national brand in 2004, its leadership insisted that each store stay connected to its local community. The resulting “My Macy’s” localization initiative gives stores the latitude to be good corporate citizens in their communities while selecting merchandise according to local tastes, preferences and seasons.

The company took this “stay close to your customer” strategy to a new level in November 2010, when it personalized its direct mail marketing strategy to target regional preferences and individual shopper habits, too.

Customers who made credit card purchases received catalogs that reflected their specific shopping histories. For example, a shopper who purchased mostly clothing, cosmetics and jewelry received a catalog with more pages featuring those products and fewer pages with items they didn’t normally buy.

Macy’s produced more than 30,000 catalog versions with page counts that varied from 32 to 76. It was more expensive than a traditional one-size-fits-all catalog — the company’s marketers had to create content showcasing four times as many products and match customer data with product options — but the new approach paid off.

“We mailed a traditional catalog to 10 percent of the list and saw enough of a lift in sales from the customized version in comparison that we knew we needed to continue this and get some traction behind it,” says Martine Reardon, Macy’s executive vice president of Marketing & Advertising. The company is doing eight more similar mailings in 2011.

The lesson, according to one-to-one marketing specialist Mark Klein, is that because these mailings generate so much more in sales, the results pay for any extra cost.

“When you individualize the mailings, response rate goes up enormously,” says Klein, CEO of Loyalty Builders LLC in Portsmouth, N.H. Individualization, he notes, involves using predictive analytics to offer different products or discounts to individuals. See how personalized mail helps build customer loyalty.

Creating Custom Mailers on Any Budget

Klein offers the following tips for individualizing direct mail to generate Macy’s results without a Macy’s budget:

  • Collect data. Recognize that your customer transaction data is a “gold mine.” If you aren’t collecting that data, start doing so.
  • Analyze transactions. “Even if that’s just rudimentary RFM — recency, frequency and monetary value — it’s better than doing nothing, and it’s easy to do,” he says.
  • Interpret the results. Use that analysis to understand who is most likely to buy, and mail your offer to them.
  • Determine what to offer and when. “If I get an oil change today, don’t send me a coupon for another one next week,” he says. If you don’t have the capability for this in-house, find a vendor that does.
  • Use postcards. Klein’s company sends digitally printed individualized postcards to customers of businesses as varied as a regional chain of tire service centers to a medical supply company. The cost? Less than 50 cents per card. The payoff? Klein’s clients generate enough sales in three to six months to cover the entire year’s postcard mailing budget.

“In the past, this process was so expensive that only companies the size of Macy’s could afford it, but automation has changed that,” Klein says.

Take it from Macy’s: “If we didn’t think it was a good idea, we would have stopped,” says Reardon.

Pitney Bowes Announces Winners of 2011 Brilliant Communications Awards

business mail, Direct Mail, Printing, variable data printing, VDP

STAMFORD, Conn. – Pitney Bowes Inc. today announced the winners of its first annual Brilliant Communications Awards. The awards recognize leading high-volume print and mail organizations that are finding new ways to streamline workflow, ensure accuracy, and market precisely to get the greatest value from their customer communications. The inaugural recipients of the awards were recognized at the Company’s annual Global Document Messaging Technologies Customer Summit, June 6-8, 2011.

“The winners of our Brilliant Communications Awards are innovators, early adopters and creative problem solvers who can point the way for others,” said Ramesh Ratan, president of Pitney Bowes Document Messaging Technologies. “They are helping to lead a customer communications evolution using solutions to help lower costs, enhance the value they provide to their customers, and make their organizations more successful.”

The winners of the 2011 Brilliant Communications Awards include:

“Powerful Communication Award” – Tri-Win Digital Print and Direct Mail, Dallas, TX, USA
Tri-Win Digital Print and Direct Mail, a direct mail house and digital print shop, won the Powerful Communication Award for improved productivity, efficiencies and quality. Tri-Win used FlowMaster RS Flex Inserting Systems with optional camera verification systems, and in-line inkjet printing station capabilities. The solutions helped Tri-Win increase the speed, and reliability of its envelope insertion process, and more importantly, increase its statement mailing customer base.

“Colorful Communication Award” – Emdeon, Toledo, OH, USA
Emdeon, a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange solutions, won the Colorful Communication Award for migrating to full digital color White Paper Factory solutions. Emdeon used IntelliJet roll-fed printing systems; APS and MPS Advanced Productivity Series Inserting Systems; a FPS Split Drive Inserting System; and Pitney Bowes software to drive the printers and provide reports for tracking and management analysis. As a result, Emdeon can now print full-color, eye-catching patient statements quickly and easily in a single print run at full production speed. Emdeon also streamlined operations for greater efficiency, eliminated costs and storage space for millions of sheets of paper, increased print capacity to better handle volume spikes and future growth, and shortened mail delivery time to the consumer.

“Profitable Communication Award” – Logistic Mail Factory GmbH, Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany
Logistic Mail Factory, an alternative, private-run postal company in Bavaria, won the Profitable Communication Award for creating more relevant, precision marketing communications. Logistic Mail Factory used a VariSort Mixed Mail Sorter, Olympus II Flexible Tier Sorter, DI950 Inserting Systems, DM1000 Digital Mailing Systems, P/I OfficeMail, P/I Output Manager software with VIP centralized output management, and P/I Enhancement Manager software with VDE centralized output management. The solutions enabled Logistic Mail Factory to receive and register letters from companies electronically instead of physically, as well as automatically print and finish mailpieces and bill customers for services. Each mailpiece is assigned a tracking number and is enriched with final sorting criteria based on a software database. As a result, this simplified and optimized the physical sorting process. Also, Logistic Mail Factory increased productivity, accuracy and efficiency; and decreased production costs by fully automated scanning and sorting.

“Innovators Choice Award” – PSC Info Group, Oaks, PA, USA
PSC Info Group, a national provider of innovative, technology-enabled solutions and proven revenue acceleration tools to streamline the collection of consumer payments, won the award for the most innovative solution. PSC Info Group accepts data from various clients, most of which are collections or medical in nature. PSC Info Group uses P/I Output Manager software with VDE centralized output management and P/I Wizard software along side their document creation software, and developed a way to pass information to the P/I products from the document creation software by embedding them in the document files themselves. PSC Info Group is now able to group significantly more jobs together for increased efficiency. In addition, the solutions have helped PSC Info Group simplify the process of linking Intelligent Mail barcodes with stored return data, resulting in reduced server overhead.

Winners of the Powerful Communication Award, Colorful Communication Award and Profitable Communication Award received a $25,000 credit toward future solutions purchases, as well as travel accommodations and transportation to the Customer Summit. The winner of the Innovators Choice Award received a prize package including an iPad with 16GB Wi-Fi, as well as travel accommodations and transportation to the Customer Summit.

Pitney Bowes customers submitted entries for the Brilliant Communication Awards from March until May 2011. Applications included physical, digital or hybrid-mail. A panel of industry experts including Andy and Julie Plata, co-CEO’s of the OutputLinks Communications Group, and thought leaders from Pitney Bowes selected the winners of the Powerful Communication Award, Colorful Communication Award and the Profitable Communication Award. Industry peers viewed and voted for nominations for the “Innovators Choice Award” online.

For additional information on the Brilliant Communication Awards, please visit www.pbbrilliantawards.com

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Marketing 101: Don't forget the baby boomers

Direct Mail, Printing, variable data printing

While it is true that baby boomers tend to respond more to direct mail and print marketing initiatives than younger generations, it is important for small businesses to recognize that this older age group is fairly engaged with the internet.

According to Greg Bayer, of the marketing network Adknowledge, more than three-quarters of baby boomers – roughly 78 percent – are online. What’s more, they spend approximately 39 hours per months using the internet.

Additionally, people aged 46-65 also contribute the largest portion of consumer spending – approximately $2 trillion.

The web and related mobile channels represent a vast marketing potential that businesses should bear in mind when developing marketing strategies. Of course, it is also important to incorporate a broad, multi-channel approach that includes print, direct mail and web, among other mediums.

“Since baby boomers represent a substantial and often untapped gold mine, make sure you lavish sufficient attention on this demographic. In order to succeed in reaching this audience, make boomers feel good about themselves by engaging their desire to maintain a youthful and active lifestyle while remaining financially independent,” Bayer writes.

Originally posted on www.123print.com by EVELYN BRANDT

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The Future of Multi-Channel Marketing

Direct Mail, Printing, variable data printing

For the past three months, I’ve been looking for a new TV. I read articles about the latest technologies, searched for reviews, watched product videos, visited retailer websites, received product brochures both via email and the good old mailbox, and even used my phone to compare prices while standing in the store. I won’t tell you which brand we picked in the end, but I will say two things: 1) that 3D is pretty cool with the right movie, and 2) it was a multi-channel research project. Display, video, mobile, email, direct mail – all played a role in my decision.

While the content experience was decidedly multi-channel, the marketing experience was anything but. Did I get display ads that were retargeted based on visiting retailer’s sites? Of course. Did I get ads for televisions when watching product reviews? Absolutely. Were these two programs coordinated? Not at all. And how about that print brochure – was it tied to any other marketing channels? Not even close!

For marketers, this represents a major inefficiency; but it’s also an incredible opportunity. Imagine if you could understand the consumer across every media channel and coordinate your messaging, frequency, and sequencing to tell them the story of your brand in a way you know will resonate with them. I’m the same regardless of what media channel I’m using – but because today’s marketing solutions treat every channel as a silo, my marketing experience was completely uncoordinated. Had they seen it, it would have been more efficient for the brands and a much better experience for me!

Now here’s the exciting part: everything I just described is rapidly becoming a reality.

It wasn’t long ago that marketers were first able to optimize campaign performance for digital display advertising. They were able to use predictive modeling capabilities and ad exchanges to buy, deliver, track, and optimize display ad campaigns. The goal at that point was simply to create incremental audience reach and meet performance goals.

Now, marketers are beginning to apply a more “holistic” strategy, as reflected by the flow of marketing dollars from offline to online. They are leaving the traditional siloed marketing approaches behind to create a more integrated presence across multiple media channels: social media, mobile, video, TV, mail, email, search, and display. The integration of audience data from multiple sources makes it possible to correlate customer attributes and interests to replace the wasteful shotgun approach to marketing with more targeted, effective, and memorable multiple-channel campaigns.

Advertisers and marketers certainly don’t lack data; what they lack is the ability to integrate the data they have to extract valuable and actionable insights. The emergence of data management platforms (DMPs) provides a means to manage the flow of data between consumers and brands and between brands and agencies, enabling marketers to improve campaign performance across all media channels. The multi-channel optimization offered by DMPs lets advertisers and brands deliver a consistent message no matter which channel is used.

No one can deny that marketing is undergoing a major shift. New channels have created new opportunities to reach a broader spectrum of audiences more effectively. Traditional channels won’t be going away any time soon – which leaves marketers with the challenge of selecting which will be the most effective channels for a particular campaign and determining the optimal budget allocations on a channel-by-channel basis. This is a Herculean task. Thankfully, DMP technology is available to help. With the proper data management system, multi-channel marketing campaigns can deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time, and through the most effective channel for real-time marketing success.

I’ll be in the market for a new car in the near future – hopefully marketers will have their act together and I’ll have a fantastic multi-channel experience.

Originally posted on www.clickz.com by Bill Demas

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Best Direct Mail Formats, Benchmarks and Personalization for Acquiring New Donors

data lists, Direct Mail, Printing, Social Media, variable data printing

New blood. Fundraisers are busy trying out non-direct mail channels (email, mobile, social media) in varying efforts to retain their current donor bases. But regardless of how successful these channels are for any nonprofit, you can only go back to the well so often.

In other words, the donor stock must be restocked for a nonprofit to survive today, and by far the best way to acquire new donors remains direct mail. That was the topic of the recent DirectMarketingIQ webinar, “Acquiring New Donors through Direct Mail: Best practices and case studies from leading fundraisers.”

Besides speaking during the webinar, Bob Merrigan—President of Merrigan & Co., a Kansas-City based firm specializing in strategy and messaging for non-profits—took time to answer many questions from attendees.

Here were a few highly relevant questions and answers:

Question: What is the best delivery for your direct mail piece? #10 envelope? Taped flier? Color? Plain?

Merrigan: Ask yourself, “How can I get attention in a way that sets the stage for for my ask, but doesn’t give the prospect an opportunity to say ‘no’ before being asked?”

There’s no single solution. I tend to prefer having the organization clearly identified; we all want open relationships … why would you start out as a mystery. I tend to prefer printing design/copy rather than leaving the envelope blank. That’s valuable real estate; you only have a few seconds to get attention and you need to use it. I like to invite (tease?) the reader into the package.

There are economic realities to deal with, too. Most acquisition efforts won’t support a closed-face, hand-addressed envelope, but that may work well with higher dollar donors. We’ve tested four color vs. two color. Four color typically gives a lift in response, but it really depends on your mail quantities and production capabilities. If I were starting out (not much reference in terms of return to expect) I would probably go with 2 color.

Similarly with self-mailers … I would start with a letter and flyer in an envelope and establish some benchmark patterns. Then I’d try to test in a self-mailer to see if the expected drop in response is more than offset by the cost savings.

Question: Can you provide “best benchmarks” on average cost to acquire a new donor, average cost to retain an existing donor, and average cost to convert (2nd year) across your NP clients? And you mentioned that the first gift amount is really important in the long term investment return. What did you mean?

Merrigan: First gift tends to be indicative of future gifts. It’s much harder to take a $5 donor to a $25 gift level than vice versa. The first gift tends to be indicative of the donor’s giving tendencies—not always, of course, but indicative.

Lifetime value is always going to be determined by average gift size x frequency x longevity. An effective fundraiser is going to establish benchmarks in each of those areas and constantly look for strategies to implement that could bump up those numbers.

Question: In your experience, is there a major difference if the letter is written in first person by the organization’s client, instead of written by the President/CEO?

Merrigan: I’m a huge fan of personalizing the organization … through its clients, through other supporters, through volunteers, through key employees. I would encourage you to collect and tell those stories in as many ways as you can.

That said, I’d ask myself before putting your cover letter over that signature, “Is this the most natural/comfortable way to make this ask?” It may be that the ED can tell the story of a client … or set the stage, include the client’s story, and then make the ask. It might be that the story is on a buckslip.

The key question is this: What is the “voice” that is most likely to elicit a response? The fact is, sometimes the president/CEO is not able to balance the need to maintain their personal voice and also be the voice of the organization.

Another consideration is how many appeals you are making. Do they all need to come from the same person? If your prospect is receiving multiple asks, it may make sense to try having some of them come from different people.

Ethan Boldt is the chief content officer of DirectMarketingIQ, the research division of the Target Marketing Group and publisher of special reports, how-to guides and books for the direct marketing industry

Originally posted on targetmarketingmag.com

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Using Direct Mail Marketing

data lists, Direct Mail, Printing, variable data printing, VDP

You might think that direct mail marketing is an old approach to marketing. Back in the day, you would buy a list of names and street addresses based on ZIP Code and you would mail out thousands of cards to those recipients. Back in those days if you got a two percent response rate you were lucky. Are you still using direct mail the old way? Is using direct mail cost effective? Are you looking for a better way of connecting with potential customers?

The secret to success with direct mail is starting with a good mailing list. What exactly is a good mailing list? How do you get one? What are your options?

Today there are so many options. You can dial in your mailing list to target specific potential customers. If you know the demographic and the psychographic of your customer, you can order a mailing list of very specific people to whom you should send your marketing materials. Your psychographic is most likely “homeowners.” The demographic says they have incomes above $50,000 and they’re more than likely 25 years old or older.

Did you know the big companies that keep mailing lists also maintain about 100 or more points of additional demographic information? If you knew that the majority of your customers drove BMW or Mercedes Benz cars, or if you knew the majority of your customers were married and had children, you could filter your mailing list with that information. If you knew that 80 percent of your customers came from high tech industries, you could filter your mailing list with that information. On the other hand, if you knew that 70 percent of your customers that bought a geothermal unit from you also replaced a propane furnace, you get a more useful mailing list if you selected people that have houses heated with propane furnaces.

Data Brokers  can help you access such detailed lists. If you don’t want to get too in-depth with your data sets you select your mailing list data  from points such as:

• Adult Age (2-year Increments)
• Estimated Income – Narrow Ranges
• Gender
• Marital Status
• Presence of Children
• Homeowner/Renter
• Dwelling Unit Size
• Length of Residence
• Home Market Value
• Mail Order Buyer
• Credit Card Users
• InfoBased Networth Indicator
• Mail Order Donor
• Mail Responders
• Children Age Ranges
• Head of Household Education
• Software Buyer
• Real Property Real Estate Buyer

You can purchase a mailing list for a one-time use or you can purchase the list to use multiple times during the year. If you plan to do multiple mailings, and I would counsel you to do so, it pays to purchase the use of your list for the year. If you are the do-it-yourself type, this could be a good fit for you.

However, while the mailing list is very important, having an eye-catching marketing piece is also critical. In addition to including your branding and messaging, a good direct mail piece will also include some type of hook, a free gift or cash back offer. A cash offer is preferable to a discount because it’s easier for the customer to relate to a cash offer.

You need a strong call-to-action. Have you ever received an advertisement that was nice but it didn’t tell you what to do? It may have said things about the company and it may have even had a phone number or website listed but just stopped short of telling you what to do next. That’s where the call-to-action comes in, it tells the reader to do something next. As an example there is the old tired and worn out phrase, “Don’t delay call us today!” You could say something like, “To receive $50 off you next service call, call us today to register your discount.” The point is you need a strong call-to-action or you are just wasting your money.

Never miss an opportunity to test your message. If you’re mailing 30,000 postcards, divide them into three groups and create three different but similar cards in order to determine which one produces the best results. As you tally the results, keep notes on what worked and what didn’t. If one produces a great response, send it out to the remaining 20,000 addresses to get even better response from your mailing. Testing makes direct mail marketers very successful.

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Originally posted on ContractingBusiness.com

Targeted mailing list 'the key to direct mail success'

business mail, data lists, Direct Mail, variable data printing, VDP

Even with the rise of social media marketing, more conventional techniques like direct mail are unlikely to go away, but B2B data and business mailing lists could be vital to campaign success.

Speaking to Marketing Week, Annabel Venner, marketing director at niche business insurer Hiscox, described the varied mix of media the firm uses in its promotional activity.

When asked whether modern elements such as social marketing would ever replace traditional techniques like direct mail, Ms Venner argued that a variety of media was necessary.

“I cannot see direct mail going away, but you need to make sure that you are targeting the right people. This means data is massively important,” she told the journal.

Firms marketing their products and services to other companies may therefore be encouraged to use business mailing lists to ensure they are reaching the right prospects.

Earlier this week, Phil Kingsland, site director at knowthenet.org.uk, suggested that smaller firms do not need to become entirely digital to benefit from the internet.

He said that on and offline operations can coexist and support one another, perhaps through a mix of B2B email marketing and direct mail strategies.

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Originally posted on ThomasLocal.com

Tri-Win Digital Print & Direct Mail has purchased their fifth Kodak Digimaster Digital Production System to support their growing statement mailing customer base..

business mail, data lists, design, Direct Mail, Printing, QR Codes, variable data printing

New technology provides increased productivity.

Tri-Win has always focused on giving customers top quality products, superior customer service, and lower prices. Since 2003 the Kodak Digimaster has been the monochromatic digital printing solution for the Dallas, TX based direct mail house and digital printer. When it came time for Tri-Win to increase their printing capabilities it made sense to purchase another quality Kodak product.

The Kodak Digimaster has a number of advantages over some of the other monochromatic digital cut-sheet presses. Their ability to use a larger variation of paper weight lets Tri-Win’s customers make printing decisions based on branding and quality instead of print restrictions. Superior image and half tone quality creates an easier to read statement for the mail recipients. In Tri-Win’s personal experience the Kodak Digimaster requires fewer repairs than some other cut sheet monochromatic presses. “The Digimaster is the best cut-sheet press available,” Russell Honeycutt, Director of Data and Print.

 

Currently Tri-Win prints and mails approximately 5 million statements each month for 10 different clients. Beginning in June, Tri-Win’s fifth Digimaster will be installed to support their growing business. Once that new press is installed Tri-Win will have five different models of Digimasters; a Digimaster 9150, E125, E150, EX138, and EX150

 

Investing in the future.

Tri-Win is always looking for opportunities to add value to their direct mail and digital printing services; monochromatic cut-sheet printing, single-pass inserting, QR Code generation, variable data printing, and data list maintenance, are just a few of the unique innovative services that Tri-Win provides to their growing clients.

Investing in smart technology provides opportunities for growth, no matter what state the economy is in, but being able to invest without borrowing money sets Tri-Win apart from most print and mail companies. Every piece of equipment that Tri-Win uses is owned outright. Every process in place is evaluated for efficiency. Tri-Win constantly looks for ways to do things faster, better, or cheaper without sacrificing the quality of the product, and the benefits of the new processes get passed on to their customers.

Superior customer service is the standard.

The constant search to enhance the quality of Tri-Win’s processes is just one way they separate themselves from the competition through service. Tri-Win has some of the latest technology in the direct mail industry, but they built their customer base by focusing on customer service. “It’s important to us to make the direct mail process as easy as it can be. We want you to know that you can give us your project and we will take care of the details. We can purchase your data list, design your mailer, print the pieces, and get everything in the mail. We can take care of all the details of your direct mail campaign so you can take care of the details of running your business”, Scott Swanner, Operations Manager.

Tri-Win’s dedication to efficiency and superior customer service allowed them to grow every year for 15 years. Now they boast nearly 500 clients and send out an average of 500,000 pieces of mail every day.  You don’t pay for unnecessary labor; you don’t pay for interest payments. When you work with Tri-Win you pay for the most efficient mail shop process available. With the addition of a new Kodak Digimaster their print shop is ready for new business.

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Your Crash Course in Postcard Mail Marketing

business mail, design, Direct Mail, Printing, variable data printing

Are you clueless about direct mail marketing and postcard printing? If you are, then you have come to the right place. In this crash course for postcard printing and direct mailing campaigns.

Are you clueless about direct mail marketing and postcard printing? If you are, then you have come to the right place. In this crash course for postcard printing and direct mailing campaigns, I will give you the three crucial steps that you need to know to do a campaign correctly. So without further ado, let us start with the first step in postcard printing and that is the composing of the message.

1. Developing a good message concept – Postcard marketing will succeed or fail depending on its message concept. So your first step is to decide on the “angle” or approach of your message so that it effectively delivers the marketing message. For postcards, there are a few simple message concepts or approaches you can go for. Below are some that you can use.

– The reference approach – This approach basically has the postcard content sounding like a reference or textbook. It basically gives factual and detailed information that your market may want to know about. This draws in people who are curious or hungry for knowledge.

– The need and want approach – This approach basically appeals to the needs and wants of people. You basically show your readers what they want to see so that they can crave for it or start wanting them again. This approach requires impressive images so that the postcard marketing can be impressive.

– The fear approach – This approach plays on certain fears of people. For example, if you are using color postcards to market a weight loss item, then you can use content that makes people aware of the dangers of getting fat. This kind of fear technique for marketing can really work, since there are a lot of things people may want to avoid.

– The bandwagon approach – Finally, we have the bandwagon approach. This basically involves telling people that the rest of the world is already buying and using your products or services. Since everybody else seems to be doing it, then people will think they can do it as well through your postcard marketing.

2. Proper postcard printing – With your message and design ready, the next step is postcard printing. In this regard, your task is pretty simple. You just need to hire a good and affordable postcard printing company to produce your postcards. Just choose the appropriate paper materials and printing options for your postcard and they should turn out well.

3. Proper distribution techniques – Finally, with your postcards printed, the final step is to distribute your postcards for direct mailing. In this regard, I recommend that you use a private mailing service to distribute your marketing postcards. These services are usually more reliable as well as quick in their distribution.

Have them send your color postcards repeatedly at least 3 times to reinforce your marketing message. Pace these distribution times by around two to four week intervals so that people won’t think your are just sending junk mail. These should be your standard distribution practices until you are confident enough to be more creative.

Great! That is your crash course for direct mail marketing using postcard printing. Hopefully, this should help you get started with your direct mail marketing campaign. Good Luck!

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Originally posted on marketpressrelease.com