New Service From the USPS! (But is it Right for You?)

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: May 16, 2014
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  Businesses these days are constantly on the lookout for anything that will give them a bit of an edge in getting their message out to customers. That fact isn’t lost on the United States Postal Service (USPS), and one way they’re trying to help businesses succeed is with a new service called Every Door Direct Mail. But just because something is new doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right solution for your business. So who can best take advantage of this new USPS service? Read More

Direct Mail Tales: The Sad Story of King Customer

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: May 13, 2014
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  Once upon a time, in the land of Commerce, there lived a king by the name of Customer. All the merchants of the land depended upon his favor and so regularly sought an audience with the King in the hopes that he would choose to spend some of his wealth on their goods and services. Read More

4 Critical Components of a Direct Marketing Strategy

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: May 9, 2014
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With all the focus on inbound marketing these days it’s often thought that direct mail no longer has a place at the marketing table. This isn’t true. With a little imagination you can make sure your direct marketing strategy complements your other activities.. Here are 4 critical components to include in direct mail to integrate it into your overall marketing plan. Read More

Direct Mail Success: Why Integration is Important

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: May 7, 2014
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  You’ve heard the old saying: “No man is an island.” The same is true when it comes to marketing your business. No method is an island. These days there are a lot of different options available to businesses that want to get their message out. Each method has it’s own advantages—and limitations. We live in a multi-channel world. People (the people we want to win as our clients and customers) don’t get their information from just one source. And they turn to different forms of media for different kinds (and levels) of information. Read More

Are Little White Lies Acceptable in Direct Marketing?

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: May 5, 2014
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  It seems that businesses sometimes forget what the direct in direct marketing means. Whether your marketing efforts involve direct mail, online content (including blogs), social media (such as Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, Instagram, or Pinterest) email, or (hopefully) a combination of these—the main point is that you are talking directly to your customers. Unfortunately, some businesses do things in these direct conversations that they would never do if they were sitting down across the table from a customer. Somehow, (maybe it’s because they’re not looking these individuals in the eye) they feel like it’s OK to mislead people—just a little bit. Here are a couple of examples of what that can look like. Read More

Does Your Direct Mail Deliver?

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: April 30, 2014
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  When your direct mail piece is delivered to the correct destination in a timely fashion you tend to breathe a sigh of relief, but—has it really delivered? Direct mail is supposed to do more than just arrive. It’s supposed to generate response. It’s intended to get people to do something. If it simply sits in the mailbox or lies there on the kitchen table, it’s not doing its job. “Mission accomplished?” Not by a long shot! Read More

Four Major Direct Mail Blunders and How to Avoid Them

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: April 29, 2014
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  Direct mail remains a very powerful marketing tool and a key component to any integrated marketing strategy—if it’s done properly. There are, however, some principle fundamentals that govern your success. Unfortunately, it’s fairly easy to make mistakes with these fundamentals that can dramatically (and negatively) impact the outcome of your direct mail efforts. Let’s take a look at four common direct mail blunders that many businesses make and talk about how you can avoid them. Read More

Friends Don’t Let Friends Do “Junk Mail”: 3 Ways to Keep the “Junk” Out of Your Mail

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: April 28, 2014
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  A lot of consumers (and this would include many of your potential customers) make no distinction between “direct mail” and “junk mail.” That’s unfortunate, because well-done direct mail can be an effective part of your overall integrated marketing strategy. It’s not surprising, because there has been a lot of junky direct mail produced over the years. Let’s look at three basic reasons why people who receive it consider it junk. And let’s also talk about what you can do to ensure that mailings your send aren’t perceived this way. Read More

What Is Every Door Direct Mail (and Why Should You Care)?

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: April 24, 2014
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  One of the basic tenets of successful direct mail is making sure that you’re talking to the right audience. You don’t want to bombard cat owners with offers for dog grooming services. It’s a waste of time and money. But what should you do if the product or service you’re offering really does apply to (almost) everyone?  What if you’re a pizza shop, trying to find customers in your neighborhood? There’s no list out there for “People Who Like Pizza.”  In a case like that, you want to target a geographic area, because even pizza lovers probably aren’t going to drive 15 miles to pick up a pizza (no matter how good it is). What you want to do in this case is hit every door within a 3-mile radius of your shop. Read More

Effective Color Usage in Direct Mail Marketing

  • Author: admin
  • Posted on: April 22, 2014
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Colors demand attention. If images are printed only in black and white, viewers tend to lose interest quickly. However, color  employed effectively makes people more likely to stop  and take notice. Read More