Why Revisit Direct Mail

There’s no doubt COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we not only do business, but the way we live out every aspect of our lives.

Though the impacts of today’s business disruption are real, the show must go on – marketing efforts included. Speaking of important marketing efforts, direct mail’s time is here, and it’s right now! With everyone spending more time at home, the highlight of everyone’s day is now the walk to the mailbox. If done right, direct mail can be a simple, easy way to get in front of past customers, unsold leads, and homeowners around existing jobs. 

Here’s why we love direct mail (and you should too!):

• Direct Mail is personal – send mail to past customers, prospects, or unsold leads with offers and information tailored directly to their needs
• Direct Mail has a high ROI – giving you more bang for your buck than paid search and online display ads
• Direct Mail is a great way to reach your target audience – launch highly-targeted campaigns to a specific audience
• Direct Mail is tangible  – in a digital driven world, direct mail stands out as familiar, reliable and something that recipients can physically hold in their hands

How to Execute:

Direct mail requires a well thought-out plan of attack. If you just ‘wing-it’, the chances of ending up with an expensive, non-productive campaign are quite high. If done right, implementing a well-conceived direct mail program can result in a continuous flow of low-cost, high quality leads for your company. 

Here are 5 basic steps to making direct mail do the most for your business:

1. Identify Your Goals – Whether your goal is to make a profit, convert unsold leads, develop qualified prospects, or generate brand awareness around existing job sites, identify your goal and write it down. Consider setting both long-term goals (ex. Generate 275 sales this year with direct mail), and short-term goals that are campaign specific (ex. Generate 1 sale for each proximity marketing mailer).
2. Develop a Budget – Generating sales for your business costs money, be sure to budget appropriately. “Do the math” and figure out what it will take to produce the results you are looking for based on your goals. Use your projected response rates and company closing ratios to calculate what it will take to produce a sale. For example, 150 Radius Mailers > 3 Leads > 1 Sale. If your yearly sales goal from proximity mailers is 100 sales, plan to mail 15,000 mailers (average of 150 each sale). If your typical cost per mailer is 40¢, then your annual budget for radius mailers is $6000. That’s a cost of $60 per sale. Know your averages, do the math and invest in your company’s success.
3. Layout a Plan/Schedule – Use a Marketing Calendar to keep you on track for success. Utilize the calendar to implement timely campaigns to ensure a controlled lead flow for your company. Organize your plan/schedule by breaking down your campaigns into Prospect, Lead or Customer categories. Your plan should include both “consistent-effort” activities such as Proximity Marketing campaigns (Prospects) as well as periodic or seasonal campaigns such as price increase notices (Leads), “future interest” mailings (Customers), “second chance” mailings (Leads), etc. 
4. Construct Your Campaign(s) – In constructing individual campaigns, be sure to consider the following 3 basic components:
   1. Who Will Get Your Mailing – In other words, the list! The quality of the list accounts for about 40% of the success of a direct mail campaign. Use your CRM software to create targeted lists with customers/leads that have the highest potential to respond to your offer.
   2. What Will They Get – aka the printed piece! Will it be a postcard? A letter? A tri-fold brochure? Mix it up and don’t hesitate to try different things to see what works best.
   3. Why Should They Respond – The Hook! Your direct mail piece needs to have a compelling offer to motivate the recipient to respond to your “call to action” (call for free estimate, visit your website, etc.). Be sure to give a worthwhile reason to act NOW!
5. Measure Your Results – One of the most attractive characteristics of direct mail marketing is its “testability”. Without a lot of risk, you can test any campaign you construct and measure the results. Be sure to track how many leads you get, how many sales, average sale, cost per lead, and cost per sale. Knowing this information will allow you to get better results and continuously lower your marketing costs. 

Yes, direct mail DOES work during times like these! Do your homework and then begin to implement your direct mail program for your business. Utilize a CRM software like MarketSharp to mail and market around existing jobs, create dedicated campaigns for past customers, and be able to target your unsold leads. With MarketSharp, you can create your own postcards from scratch, and carry out on-demand mailing. Read our ebook The Contractors Guide to Successful Direct Mail Marketing to learn how to generate and convert more leads.  

Learn More about how MarketSharp can help deliver highly-targeted campaigns to help your business flourish.