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. 

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.