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The Importance of Knowing Your Target Audience

Did you ever get a piece of direct mail that caused you to say, “I wonder why they sent this to me?” That happens much more often then it should and it’s easy to avoid.

Consider a mailing for a summer day camp sent to an older aged audience of grandparents. Or perhaps a mailing for home improvements sent to someone who lives in an apartment.

The best mailing piece in the world with the strongest offer, the most beautiful graphics and the best copy isn’t going to stand a chance if it is sent to an audience of people who have no interest in the product or service.

Whenever you contemplate a direct mail program ask yourself the question...”who am I trying to reach with this mailing?” Be sure you select the appropriate audience and eliminate lists of people known to be outside of your target audience.

List selection is as much an art as it is a science. There is no such thing as a perfect list, but you can take some precautions to get as close as possible to your ideal target audience.

Consider some of these points when considering your list:

What is the best age group for my product or service?

Does their living in a home or an apartment make any difference?

Is my product or service particularly suited to married people or single people or does it make any difference?

Should my idea prospect be a parent? A grandparent?

Is my product or service aimed at people with special interests such as a particular hobby?

Is educational background an important factor in whether or not someone is likely to buy my product or service?

Chances are you can come up with other questions of your own. Using the answers you provide to these questions will go a long way in guiding you toward your best prospects.
Take the time to ask and answer them.

The folks at Avery Print and Mail Center can help you locate just the right lists for your target audience. Feel free to call them without obligation at 877-283-7976. (877-AVERY-PMC). Your list is one of the most important elements for the success of your direct mail campaign.

Direct Mail Tip of the Week

Write the same way that you talk. Watch long cumbersome sentences and great big words that you probably don’t use in everyday conversation. Your readers will have an easier time understanding you and you’ll get better results from your direct mail.

Welcome to Your Mail Box-4 Lessons for Learning How to Build Direct Mail Campaigns

I’m often asked for a recommendation on where people can learn more about direct mail advertising. My advice is always the same....the best place to learn is your own mail box.

In my almost 45 years in the business I never found a better source of knowledge than to review the mail that comes in my mailbox six days a week. Like most people, I discard many items I receive but, unlike most people, I never discard a single piece of direct mail advertising without first having read it.

What can you learn by doing this? Here are some of the valuable lessons you can get:

1. What are my competitors doing?

Chances are you will receive mailings from others who are in the same or a similar business to yours. Reviewing their direct mail will keep you up to date on the competition and is likely to provide you some valuable ideas on how you adapt things they are doing to your own needs.

2. Ideas for layout, format and design:

You will often a layout or a design element that you find quite attractive. Chances are you can adapt some of these ideas to your own direct mail and even improve upon them. Are you receiving lots of jumbo postcards or are most people mailing standard size?

3. Offers:

Study the offers you see, particularly if they are from a competitor. If you are a dry cleaner and you offer $2 off on a cleaning job and your competitors are offering $3, you are likely to lose business to them if they are mailing in your same market. You will also find offers from other businesses that can be adapted to your own. One example that most people are familiar with is the offer made by Bed Bath and Beyond where they regularly send coupons worth a 20% discount on a single item. You don’t have to be a linen store obviously to use this idea. It can be applied to almost any retail business.

4. Frequency:

How often are people mailing? Study mailings being made by people in businesses that are similar to yours to see what their frequency is. This can give you an idea on how often you should be mailing to keep up with your competition.

You may want to start keeping a file of mailing pieces that you find attractive and interesting. This will serve as a valuable resource for ideas when you sit down to plan your next mailing.

Finally, a word of caution. Be careful to analyze mailings you receive from others in light of your own business needs. Don’t assume that because a competitor is doing something in his mailings that he is necessarily successful. His requirements may be different than your own. His mail may be part of a larger promotional program that is different from your own. So don’t blindly follow someone else.

When you’re ready for your next mailing don’t hesitate to contact the people at Avery Print and Mail Center. They stand ready to assist you with all aspects of your mailing program. You can reach them at 877-Avery-PMC (877-283-7976.

Direct Mail Tip of the Week

Color postcards typically out pull black and white ones. We live in a world of color and you are competing for attention in your prospect’s mailbox. The cost of color today is so inexpensive that you should use it wherever possible. Your results will improve.

Want to Say “Thank You”? Consider a Greeting Card

Every business has many opportunities to say “thank you” to customers and inexpensive greeting cards are a perfect vehicle for doing so.

In today’s impersonal business environment you can make your business stand out by taking the time to tell customers how much you appreciate their business. Here are some opportunities for you to consider:

*When someone opens a new account with you

*When you receive a referral from a satisfied customer

*When someone has just made a purchase from you

Your copy should be short and to the point.

*“Thanks for becoming our customer. We appreciate your confidence and will always do our best to deserve your trust.”

*“Thanks for referring (hand insert the name). You pay us a big compliment when you refer someone to us and we deeply appreciate it. We will do our best to give the person you referred the same good service we try to give to you. “

*“Just a note to say 'thanks' for purchasing your new (name of item) from us. We know you have lots of choices and we appreciate your having chosen us. If there is anything we can do to help you enjoy your new purchase, don’t hesitate to contact us.”

Here are some specific “thank you” opportunities for different kinds of businesses.

Realtors:

*When someone has stopped in at an open house.

*After someone has called you to get more information.

*When you’ve received a referral.

Medical Practices:

*When a patient has completed his or her first visit.

*When you have received a referral.

Insurance Agents:

*When you have received a request for a quote.

*When a customer has renewed a policy.

Accounting Practice:

*When you’ve completed someone’s tax return.

*When someone has met with you for a consultation.

Think about saying “thank you” at different times. Many businesses use Christmas as a time to send a message of appreciation to their customers. Why not send a Thanksgiving message instead? Your customers will receive many fewer messages at Thanksgiving and your message will stand out. Plus, what better holiday than Thanksgiving to give thanks to your customers?

Need some help in designing your “thank you” greeting cards? The staff at Avery Print and Mail Center are there to help. You can contact them at 877-AVERY PMC (877-283-7976) or email them at customercare@printandmailcenter.com. They’ll be delighted to help you. You can also check out our greeting card templates for an easy way to create your "thank you"!

Direct Mail Tip of the Week

Consider addressing your mail with the name of the recipient and a second line that says “or current resident”.
That way the Postal Service can deliver your mail to whoever resides at the address in the event your prospect has moved. Without this statement, your mail will not be delivered if the named recipient is no longer there.

Direct Mail Copywriting Tips

What do I say on my mailing piece? This question is one that frequently causes concern among advertisers as they begin to prepare a mailing.

There has probably been more written on copywriting than on any other part of the advertising process.

When it comes to writing a postcard nothing is more important than the headline. You need a simple very clear statement that immediately gets the attention of your recipient. Your headline should contain a benefit if at all possible or should at least get the interest of your reader in learning more. Examples include such statements as “Cut your heating costs by 30%”, or “Want to save 50% on the cost of your prescriptions?” Assuming you’ve directed your mailer at the appropriate audience, homeowners or people who take prescription drugs, you are very likely to get their attention and cause them to want to learn more.

Once you’ve gained their attention, you then need to move on to telling them more.
Back up the statement you made in your headline with additional benefits to drive home your point. Expanding upon our heating example, we might make a couple of statements accentuated by bullet points.

*A new furnace can pay for itself in as little as 5 years.

*Let us give you an estimate at no cost.

*Take up to 24 months to pay for your furnace at no interest.

Keep your body copy short. People won’t take the time to read long detailed copy so make your points quickly.

Make good use of graphics. If you have a photo or illustration on your card, be sure that it reinforces your message. Again, using our heating example we might include a picture of a new furnace or an illustration that shows an estimator furnishing an estimate.

Be sure your mailer has an offer. By an “offer” we mean......”if you do what I want you to do for me, here is what I am going to do for you”. The prescription mailer mentioned above wants to gain customers for discounted prescription drugs. We can assume that what they want is for people to inquire about how much they can save. In order to entice people to respond, they therefore need to offer something of value. Among offers they might consider the following:

*Send us a list of your prescription drugs and receive a $5 discount on your first order.

*Send us a list of your prescription drugs and receive a copy of our valuable booklet.

*Let us transfer your prescriptions at no charge.

Unless there is something “in it” for your recipient, they are not likely to take the time to respond to your offer.

Make good use of white space. Don’t feel that you need to fill every inch of your postcard with copy. White space makes your headline, copy and illustration stand out.

Be sure that you write like you talk. Use simple straightforward language to get your story across. You probably don’t use complicated words when you talk so don’t put them into your copy. When people don’t easily understand what you are saying you fail to communicate and failing to communicate will definitely lower your response.

Tell your readers what you want them to do. Ask them to take action now. Consider statements like:

*Mail in your reply today.

*Call us now to schedule a no obligation appointment.

*Stop in by Friday and you’ll receive an extra 10% discount.

Be sure that your company is well identified with complete information on how you can be contacted. Include your name and logo, your complete address, your phone number, hours of business operations, etc. Don’t assume that everyone knows you and where you are located. Make it very easy to contact you and more people will do so.

By observing these simple steps you’ll find that writing copy is easier than you might have thought. Try them and see how they affect the results you achieve.

copywriting for direct mail

Ask Jerry-Direct Mail Marketing for Websites

Q
"Does the benefit of a direct mail campaign for an Internet website outweigh the costs associated. The real concern: should we perform a direct mail campaign for a website offline. Would it not be more
productive to advertise online? "

A
"Thank you for contacting us.

One of the nice things about direct mail advertising is that it is easily tested. You can try a mailing or two and learn for yourself how effective it is for your offer (be sure to read our posts about creating an offer).

You don't have to choose one method over the other...you can try them both.

Direct mail gives you the opportunity to pin point your message to known audiences of people likely to be interested in what you have to say. This is accomplished by proper list selection and the Avery Print and Mail Center team can assist you in developing appropriate lists. You can contact our list people at 877 AVERY-PMC or 877-283-7976.

Postcards are an inexpensive way of advertising to direct people to your website. Remember that the key measurement you want to be looking at is your return on investment. What do you want people to do once they get to your website? Whether it's capturing a qualified lead, a white paper download or a direct sale, it's simple to test effectiveness. Need help? Just give us a call at 877 AVERY-PMC or 877-283-7976.

Hope this has been helpful. Thanks for contacting Avery."

Jerry Heisler for Avery Print and Mail Center

Do you have a direct mail question? Ask Jerry. We can't answer every request, but we'll do our best to help!

direct mail postcards

Direct Mail Tip of the Week

Be sure you can deliver what you promise. Never make a claim in your advertising that you cannot fulfill. Don’t promise one day service when you are backed up for a week. Don’t offer something for free when there are hidden charges. When you make a promise, deliver on it. You’ll build good will and your customers will keep coming back.

Advertising with Rack Cards

Rack cards have long been a staple in the promotion of hotels, real estate and travel, Rack Cards have a wide variety of uses in other industries as well.

Typically 4” x 9” in size, these cards are displayed in racks on the counters of hotels, real estate offices, restaurants and travel attractions. They offer the opportunity to promote your business or service in full color without the cost of addressing and mailing.

Rack cards also have a place in the promotional mix of non-travel businesses including medical services, insurance and accounting offices, retail stores and others.

A rack card can be a two sided card or it can be conveniently expanded into a several panel brochure that folds down to 4” x 9” and fits into a standard sized rack.

Many companies that exhibit at conventions and trade shows use rack cards as a convenient way of getting their story across in a succinct manner and in a format that can easily be carried away by a visitor to their booth.

Writing copy for a rack card is not much different than writing any other type of promotional copy. The most important element is benefits to the reader….why should the reader do what you want him to do?

In the travel market, the story on a rack card is usually very straightforward. Looking for a good place to stay or a nice spot for dinner? Here’s what we have to offer. Results will be greatly enhanced with the inclusion of an offer. A restaurant might offer a discount, a free appetizer, two entrees for the price of one or a similar offer.

We’ve seen limousine services offer discounted rates on rack cards displayed at an airport location. Often there is a tear off coupon on the bottom of the card that can be redeemed to receive the discount. A tear off coupon provides you with an excellent means of keeping track of your results by counting the cards or coupons that are redeemed. If you have racks in multiple locations or if you use more than one type of card, be sure that you put a code number onto the reply portion so that you can trace the response to its source.

If you are using rack cards to promote business services or specific products think about what you product or service has to offer. Unless you offer something of value to the reader he or she will not spend much time thinking about you. When preparing your card copy think about how your product or service can help your prospect. Can you save them money? Tell them how. Does your product have the ability to solve some problem? Point out what it is. Make them want to contact you to hear more.

Make good use of “bullets” to enumerate the benefits of your product or service. A full color brochure gives you a good opportunity to show photographs of your product or your place of business. Color commands attention.

Leave some white space and don’t feel that you have to fill up every square inch of space. Good use of space makes your headlines and copy points stand out and also makes your rack card easy to read.

Avery Print and Mail Center offers a variety of colorful rack cards at attractive prices. They offer an easy to use online order system that you can use or they will be happy to help you prepare a design of your own. You can reach them at (877-AVERY-PMC or 877.283.7976).

Test rack cards as a promotional vehicle for your business. Chances are you will find them to be inexpensive sources of new prospects and customers for your business.

rack cards