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After more than 15 years in the direct response business and the development of thousands of direct mail programs for small and mid-sized businesses, I am convinced that direct mail is one of the more valuable and least utilized marketing tools for businesses - particularly New York businesses.
Why New York in particular? New York has a highly concentrated population of businesses and residents compared to other major metropolitan areas. On one hand, it may appear that newspapers, radio, or TV with their ability to reach most New Yorkers might be great media choices. Yet for most tri-state area businesses, the cost of newspaper and broadcast media are too expensive and/or do not produce sufficient results to justify the expense.
Here are a couple of ways to take uncertainty out of direct mail and improve your results.
Targeting the Right People
Most direct mail professionals will tell you that your list choice is the single most important element in determining the success of your mailing. No matter how well-crafted your mailing piece may be, your campaign will fail if it isn't reaching the right people. The “right” people can be current customers, inactive or former customers, as well as finding prospective customers.
Current customers:
- May be your best prospects since you already know them.
- Cross-sell your other products and services.
- Increase your current customers’ purchase frequency or size of their transactions by offering a bonus or discounts.
Inactive or former customers:
- If you know why they are inactive or switched to another supplier, notify them of improvements in those areas
- If you don’t know why they are inactive or switched, mailing a questionnaire to this group can provide you with valuable insight into your business. It is also an opportunity to make them a special offer to win them back.
New customers:
- Carefully review your current customers to identify certain characteristics that distinguish your "best customers”
- Renting a mailing list that most closely matches the characteristics of your “best customers” will enable you attract more customers just like them.
Examples of characteristics for developing a “best customer” profile (use the ones appropriate for your product or service):
Characteristic | Business, Consumer or Both
Resources
Author Information: Joe Hunt is the founding partner of RelationshipLink Business Advisors LLC, a New York based management consulting firm offering a wide array of services for entrepreneurs and small business owners. His firm also runs BizExchange groups throughout the tri-state area. Joe is a long-standing member of the New York American Marketing Association and served on its Board of Directors. Contact: jihunt@RelationshipLink.com.
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