One of the biggest things to remember in
advertising is "Do something different."
You don't want to be viewed as just another
company sending out junk mail. Chances are, your prospect gets mail from
companies just like yours every week. And furthermore, you're competing with
dissimilar companies who bombard your prospect will junk mail. Every one of
them is begging for your prospect's attention.
What are you going to do to get their attention?
Your goal is to make your advertising stand out
from your competition. Consumers get lots of junk mail. But the thing is, they don't get very
much stand alone direct mail from local businesses. Simply going through the task of sending out a direct mail campaign
can put you in the limelight if you do it well.
One of the things I like about direct mail is
you can hit your target when no one else around. If you send a personalized
mail piece, you'll likely be the only person sending them personal mail that
day. You have their attention. If they're interested in cleaning, you've got
the attention of a super hot prospect.
Direct mail is also the best way to keep in
contact with your current clients. Don't rely on the business card you left
them or even a refrigerator magnet. While those are good tools, they don't take
the place of reminders in the mail.
When mailing to repeat clients, it's okay to use
bulk mail. However, when mailing to new prospects, bulk mail makes your mailing
look just like JUNK MAIL. To keep your mailing from being perceived as junk
mail, use first class. Also, make the envelope look like it came from their
Aunt Sally. Make it look like personal mail.
Here are some other tips to try that cost little
to nothing extra:
- Send your letter in an
invitation envelope
- Use a hot pink or other colored
envelope instead of standard white
- Mail an oversized postcard (half of an
8 ½ x 11 inch page)
- Use something other than a flag on
your first class stamp
- Handwrite your envelope or use a
handwritten font when printing
- If can't handwrite the envelope, avoid
using labels-print directly on the envelope
- Put something bulky in the envelope to
intrigue the recipient (band-aids, pen, etc)
- Include a business card that restates
your offer
Think out of the box. It will take your company
to new levels. Your prospects will be interested and your current clients will
stay interested.
