Direct Mail Campaigns DO work!

[thebizinator]

Good post Travis. Direct mail tends to work for well for some types of businesses and not so well for others. A lot of the effectiveness does depend on the aesthetics of the package. At the site in my profile, check out Moo's postcards and business cards, very nice.

If you're looking to start a direct mail campaign the website in my signature compares reviews of the top business printing companies. The site is really useful for small business owners looking for services to grow their business.

[erichtoll]

Direct mail is a lot like gambling in Monte Carlo - very expensive, and you might win, you might lose.

The #1 most important thing is testing - always have a code that recipients have to give you, so that you know which list, which offer, and which creative works the best.

[Spider]

I have never felt the efficacy of testing mail pieces for small businesses. Generally, their list isn't big enough to test and they don't mail often enough to make it worthwhile.

Certainly, testing offers, headlines, colors, design, etc. works well for large companies spending big bucks on huge mailouts, but small businesses - especially the micro-business that post here - are not, I'm sure, spending big bucks on their direct mail campaigns. (Do they even have "campaigns" or is it more a one-sheet flier occasionally?)

If you have a mailing list of 200, what significant information can you obtain by sending one headline to 100 people and another headline to the other 100? The numbers are too small to be significant. And even if you can get useful feedback, how long will it be before you send out another flier? And would you use the same headline on this second flier?

I don't see it, but I would be interested to know what the marketing folk amongst us feel is a minimum list size that can reveal useful information like this, and what frequency would be needed to use the information.

[cbscreative]

Spider, I tend to agree that testing for the smaller biz is too often unreliable, especially with DIY marketing campaigns. Then it also varies for the type of business. I'll pick on huggy (not really picking on but using as an example) because he's our resident plumber here. When a plumber sends a direct mail, he's probably hoping that the recipient will put their name on the fridge for the day when they need a plumber. The likelihood of timing the mail just right is minimal. Many in this situation have received calls 6, 12, and 24 months after sending a direct mail.

With pizza delivery, the rules change drastically.

Another problem I see with accurate tracking is the fact that one offer seldom yields stellar response. Suppose you send a direct mail piece and the recipient has also heard your name on the radio. In addition, one of their friends does business with you and mentions it in conversation. These multiple points of contact each have a certain influence that none could match on their own. Knock out any of them and you might lose opportunities that don't show up as measurable response during the campaign itself.

I'm in no way suggesting not to track and measure, but I believe some very analytical thinking needs to go into your decisions about what is working and what is not.

[alphadore]

I am estimating the cost per distribution (letter, printer, mail) will be around 1 dollar. You need to spend 100 dollars to reach 100 people. I am not very sure if that is the best value for money. It is niche I agree but I dont think it will work for my business. You need to have a really good business intelligence before dispatching the mails. You need to know the full name of the person, position, department, and company address. Well if you already have so much information, why dont you just call and ask for an appointment. Or if it is a small business you are mailing to, then why dont you stop by his office or shop?