There are times when businesses just aren’t happy with the results they’re getting from their direct mailings. When that happens, there’s a tendency to put the blame on the messenger (direct mail) instead of on the message.
But before you dump your direct mail efforts, you may want to take a good look at what’s in the envelope or on the card. A poorly crafted message is going to be ineffective regardless of the format you use.
Yes, we live in an online age. But just because we can reach people faster and cheaper doesn’t mean were reaching them effectively. What message are you delivering with your mail or your online presence?
One of the biggest mistakes we make in business is “drinking our own Kool-Aid.” We’re excited about a product or service we offer and assume that potential clients will be as well. We figure if prospects will just listen to our logic, they’ll swarm to us with orders.
That’s not the way marketing works today. Customers and prospects are in charge. They have questions they want to have answered before they’ll even consider buying. They’re not interested in all the features your product or service offers—unless it helps them solve a problem they’re facing. Simply repeating your sales pitch isn’t going to get you the results you want.
So what can you do? Review what you know about your clients and your ideal customers. What are their concerns? What do they struggle with? What will help them achieve their goals? Then look at the messages you’re sending out (whether they’ve via direct mail, email, Twitter, Facebook, or on your website). Does the information you’re putting out speak to the issues your clients and prospects are facing? Or have you been drinking the company Kool Aid—and now you’re passing the cup to your audience?
Don’t shoot the messenger. Direct mail is only part of your overall marketing strategy. And if it’s not generating the responses you want, you may need to take a look at your overall message to make sure it matches what your audience wants.
