How to Execute a Successful Direct Marketing Campaign

Direct marketing, or direct mail marketing, is an effective way to get new customers and to reach out to current customers because it gives companies a chance to get personal. You're addressing a specific person on the direct mail piece, and you're sending something to their most personal space of all: their home.

Sending out postcards and brochures to everyone in the phone book doesn't make for an effective direct marketing campaign. There are steps that must be taken to ensure success.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Identify your target market. You can't be successful marketing to everyone everywhere. You can't please everyone all the time, as the saying goes. You must choose whether you're marketing to men or women; the age range of your demographic; the location (city, state or region); and income level. You can target your market by any demographic characteristic you want; these are just the most common target demographics.

2. Create a targeted mailing list. Whether you buy a mailing list from a list broker or you create your own list, you need to edit the phone book into a list of customers or prospects most likely to buy from you. By knowing your target market, you can choose those people from your purchased mailing lists who fall into your target market. Many list brokers allow you to pick your list by your target market so that everyone on your list has greater sell-to potential.

3. Target your direct marketing campaign materials to your target market. Create postcards that talk directly to the recipients that show you know a little something about them. Sending a business owner a postcard asking "Need new business cards?" will get a much higher response than a generic postcard to a non-business owner asking "Anyone you know need new business cards?"

4. Write your direct mail pieces to emphasize benefits over features. Point out the benefits of using your product in a brochure rather than highlighting the features. When you talk about benefits, you are reaching the reader on a personal level, showing him how your product can help him and his unique situation.

5. Make an offer no one can refuse. A buy one get one free sale, a deep discount or an exclusive "preview" of a sale will make people respond more so than a generic "Sale!" announcement.

6. Ask for the sale. This is also referred to as including a call to action. Tell the reader to call you, visit your store or check out your website. Tell the customer the next action she should take and she will be more likely to do it.

Tips & Warnings

• Send out direct mail pieces at intervals. Whether it's every two weeks or once a month, choose an interval that works for your budget so that you keep your business at the top of customers' minds.

Resources

• Printing Postcards