Boost Your Marketing Campaign

Let's consider your link to your customers as vital and, if well maintained, your way to achieve your goals. However, it can be vital only if your direct marketing is handled right enough. As none ot this is totally unlike writing a letter to your girl/boyfriend, some rules are implied and to be followed to create your convincing and highly successful marketing campaign.

Address your client by name:

Don't you want  your message to be considered as spam, don't you? Just a simple but very distinct difference - junk mail is not wanted, but a natural and unforced one certainly does. Direct mail mainly goes to the right person and is wanted, i.e. goes the right people. If you already have some people signed up last year or quarter, then it would be appropriate to take them as your follow-ups. If it's a new campaign or a new customer list, your first task is to start with a research phone call to find those who is still intersted. No matter if it's your last year customer list ot some new ones, a phone call is definitely worth checking that your information is updated and your potential customer is aware of it. Don't  you ever rely on anyone passing your mailer on (people are lazy), so it's up to you to keep on. Don't be afraid, it's not that hard. 

Make your letter Sweety:

As soon as you find out the prospects to send your promotion letter to, your next objective is to make sure that your letter works to the maximum. Try to make it look like a face-to-face dialogue. Using some niche special language might be a plus (only when describing  special terms and features or an example), but hardly knowable ones would harm your  image, so try to avoid them. Make it as clear as possible for your customer. The best show is definetely short and sweet - 6-7 lines passages. Splitting up your letter into clearly defined and well understood subheads will surely improve your potential client's comprehension. If your message is more than 1 page in length, try to take your client to the next page page using " learn more..." or  "get more...", but make sure there are no more than 2 pages in length and that reading the last page is really worth it. A summing up alinea at the end of your offer would be very appreciated by your customer. Your direct marketing campaign will surely count this way.

Benefit is a Must:

Your prospect must see and easily understand the benefits you can offer. You also should distinguish a benefit and a feature or an option.  A benefit has an impact on your potential client. If you provide an example of 1000 people already involved in your campaign, it would rather look like a feature, but if you make an emphasis on that your prospect can do the same and shortly, such a statement would surely do much more for  your success.
Try to make a short and sweet 2-3 lines version of your offer and repeat it 2-3 times throughout your letter - in the headline, in the first 1-2 paragraphs, and at the end (a "p.s." paragraph may be also appropriate).  Very important - tell your prospects what to do next, i.e  push them to action and to do it  today. Provide a link  where to go for more information and details. Remember - your letter must be the trigger for your recipients to respond positively and immediately.

Impress your recipient:

Your mail must differ from the others and not to be the one to lay for weeks on your prospects' desks. It should be the one to draw their attention and make them act asap.
If you send your letter by post, try to make it lumpy. Put some cards and candies (not melting!) inside, or even add some humor like a big artificial aspirin tablet with the words like "It's not gonna be another annoying stuff for you" or similar. A music card with a phone ringing and your phone number inside might be very opportune. Whatever you insert in your packet, make it  appealing, clear, fun and - what is crucial - useful for the recipient. 

You're just Irresistible!

Make sure your marketing offer just can't be refused, try to walk in your prospect's shoes, would you refuse it yourself? If not, go ahead.  A time limited offer might be a plus - 1 or 2 months, but not longer. Or an offer that differs you from your competiton, an early sign up, a better location, a discount, here and now. Whatever that  your marketing campaign could push your  prospect to act immediately.
Also bear in mind that no need offering a super incentive if it's barely known or completely unknown. So, again, make your letter clear, easily  understandable and pushing to respond, and of course relevant.

2x2 respond:

An easy way to respond to your offer is definetely a plus, for example, a fax form (word or pdf) + a pre-paid envelope, a pre-paid post card, or a quick website link with a 4-5 lines form to fill in. All of them (except the website,  not needed) are to be prepaid to make your prospect free of any additional costs during your communication. Make your recipient feel comfortable. A toll-free phone number is a plus. Your website would be more than apropos to provide more info about your offer.

Follow up your message by phone:

Let's make it clear: your letter and your phone call are inseparable. Once your prospect receives the letter (track it both via post services or online), make sure you follow it up by a phone call. You may be surprised but in 90% your phone communication will close the sale. Of course that the people who conduct the phone calls must be professional, well-informed and able to answer all the questions related to the matter to insure the right contact with the prospect and his/her right decision on your marketing campaign. 

Print it Smartly:

If your campaign is a printed one (i.e. not online), your direct mail bottom line should consider some savings as for the printing costs, no matter if  you use your own printer or a printing company, a quality/quantity correlation is a must to be considered to achive your goals without any lost. So here are the tips: 

• Your printer should work to the top (if your want to print by yourself), a laser one would be a best solution, a moderate one would suit your needs (the price), no need making some savings here choosing the cheapest one, otherwise you risk to lose in quality and money.  
• At least 2-3 samples of your printed offer must be provided for you by reputable printers. 
• You can always negotiate a price for about 10-20% of the initial one.
• For small print quantities buy the paper at a discount price and without printer's markups.
• Provide your printer with a detailed purchase order including all the details: price, paper specifications, ink colors, space reqs, quantity, etc. 
• A final printed proof must be provided by the printer before you approve the whole lot. 
• If you have a final art sample of your letter, provide it to your printer as well. 

If you consider to address your prospects via email only and manage your marketing campaign more effectively, a marketing automation software would be very appropriate.