With the advent of social media and the rise of the Internet age, many think that marketing strategies like direct mail campaigns have taken a dive in efficacy and popularity. This simply isn’t so. Believe it or not, email and search engine marketing aren’t as effective as customized postcards in some instances. In a recent survey, only 25% of people heard about a new business through email, 10% through search engines, and a whopping 34% heard about a new business through customized postcards.
The fact of the matter is that direct mail marketing is still popular because it’s a great way to reach customers. In fact, marketers spent $47.8 billion on direct mail postcard printing in 2011. Plus, this spending is forecasted to rise by 3.6% going into 2014, proving that direct mailing is still a prominent marketing strategy.
The simple reason that business postcards are still used is because they still work incredibly well. For every 10 customized postcards mailed, about six and half recipients on average wind up either purchasing from the company, or at least engaging with the business. If you compare this to email marketing, direct mailing has a 30 times better chance at receiving a customer response.
In order to create a winning direct mail strategy, there are three steps that need to be taken. First, you have to have a list of potential customers. This can be gotten from past sales transactions, from online directories, or from a number of different sources. Next, you have to define what you’re offering. The customized postcards should have a reason beyond shameless self-promotion. They should announce a huge upcoming sale, a new line of products or some other big event. Lastly is the actually making of the mailer. You don’t want something that looks just like any other piece of junk mail, but you do have to get the point across to the customer. The key is to strike a careful balance between personal writing, and sales copy.
Customized postcards are an excellent way for a small business to market itself. If you have any questions about customized postcards or direct mailing marketing strategies, feel free to ask in the comments. Visit here for more information: www.quantumpostcards.com