Have you ever noticed that when you hear the same sound for a prolonged period of time, you tend to drown it out, so you stop hearing the details? When it comes to direct mail, flyers are pretty much the same thing. Unless they are something special and they stand out of the crowd, they mostly end up filed in the garbage, and that is literally throwing your marketing dollars away.
The best way around that problem is to invest your marketing budget in direct mail ideas that are different, creative, and stand out from the crowd. Here are some of our favorites:
- If you have a landscaping business, why not print custom seed packages, and include flower seeds in them?
- Are you a divorce lawyer? Get identical flyers printed on either side of a postcard, with a perforation down the middle, so potential clients can each get exactly half of it.
- A tiny towel with your message on it can be a great alternative to a flyer for your personal training business, and it is something recipients can actually use.
- One of the coolest ways to publicize a photography business is to have your flyer printed on the edges of a clear plastic viewfinder, which recipients can use to set up imaginary shots.
- Why not put your message on something else? A yoga studio advertising on a reusable bendable straw is a great idea, or a cheese store sending out flyers with embedded mini graters.
- A magnetic mini frame for the fridge is a great choice to market a framing company.
- Send out stress balls to market your psychiatric practice to customers.
- Are you a veterinarian? Send potential customers a recipe for home baked doggy biscuits, with your information on the bottom.
- If you have the budget for it, a business card on a flat metal multi tool is a great way to reach handy customers in your area, but even a printed ruler will do the trick, and make sure people see your message repeatedly.
- Send out a calendar, and incorporate content marketing, by including one useful ‘post’ or tip per page.
- Better yet, if you remember to do it in time, sending out diaries or agendas with industry specific information in it, you can be sure they will be used and retained long after the year is up.
- A digital version of your product catalog on CD is another great option if you want to target B2B clients.
- If you own a toy store, have your direct mail materials printed on a jigsaw puzzle. Potential customers can have fun building the puzzle!
- Create coupon books for savings on products that you sell in your store. That way, you get more than one potential sale per recipient!
- Are you an optometrist? Send people folded up eye charts with instructions on use and your contact information on the back!
There are endless ideas for every industry that will help to get your direct mail pieces noticed among all of the flyers. It takes some creativity and a little more time and effort, but it really is worth the result. If you don’t think you can handle it all yourself, don’t be shy to hire a professional who can brainstorm and produce a standout piece for you.
