Direct Mail in the Digital Age

Learn the secrets of successful direct mail campaigns, whether traditional postal mail or email, and get your small business noticed!

Direct mail allows you to target individual customers and has been in existence for many years.With the advent of the Internet and email marketing, has direct mail lost its touch? How do you ensure the success of your existing direct mail campaigns? How do you make sure your direct mail campaigns work in harmony with other marketing, such as email? Will customers feel that direct mail is more or less targeted and/or personalized now that almost everything is digital?This book will speak about the pros and cons of direct mail versus other methods available today and explain how to figure out how to best use it to your business's advantage.

Introduction xiii1 Beginnings and Benefits 11. Direct Marketing Techniques 21.1 Telephone 21.2 Television 21.3 Print advertisements 31.4 Direct mail 31.5 Digital direct mail 41.6 Billboards 42. Digital versus Traditional Direct Mail 53. The State of the Direct Mail Industry 52 Identifying Your Overall Goals and Objectives 111. Will Direct Mail Work for You? 121.1 Can you reach your market effectively throughdirect mail? 121.2 Does your product have broad appeal? 121.3 Does your product stand out from the crowd? 131.4 Can you describe or illustrate your producteffectively through direct mail? 131.5 Can you make a profit? 132. Goals 14vi Direct Mail in the Digital Age3. Objectives 153.1 Objectives must be specific 163.2 Objectives must be measurable 163.3 Objectives must be attainable 173.4 Objectives must be realistic/relevant 183.5 Objectives must be time bound 183.6 Evaluating your objectives 184. The Importance of Objectives 193 Targeting Your Market 211. Identify Your Target Audience 211.1 Identify your target market’s buying habits 242. Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning 252.1 Segmentation 252.2 Targeting 262.3 Positioning 273. Your USP — Unique Selling Proposition 274. Is Your Target Market Online? 295. Structuring Your Offer to Get Results 314 Lists 351. Compiling Lists — Your Prospect and CustomerDatabase 361.1 Database marketing and Customer RelationshipManagement (CRM) 371.2 Deciding what data to keep 391.3 Using databases for mailing maximization 411.4 Internal versus external — factors to consider 411.5 Pitfalls to avoid 422. Renting and Purchasing Lists 442.1 Find a list broker 452.2 Types of lists 463. Email List Rules 483.1 Co-registration 52Contents vii4. Finding the Right Lists for Your Business 534.1 Being an informed list renter 554.2 Cost considerations 574.3 Placing your order 585 Copy and Design 591. Developing Key Messages 591.1 Attention 611.2 Interest 621.3 Desire 641.4 Action 652. Tips for Writing Great Copy 662.1 Compose a benefit-oriented headline 662.2 Write with design in mind 672.3 Read it out loud 672.4 When to include PS 672.5 Simplify your wording 672.6 Learn from the competition 682.7 Back up any claims you make 682.8 Use testimonials 682.9 Make a reference to your website 682.10 Know when it’s time to hire an expert 692.11 Quick tips for better results 693. Writing for the Web 703.1 Search engine optimization (SEO) 713.2 Spam 724. Templates and Tools 755. Using Outside Resources 766 Creating the Order Form 791. Make Your Order Form Logical and Orderly 792. Give the Customers All the Information They Need 803. Offer Multiple Order Options 814. Additional Order Form Tips 82viii Direct Mail in the Digital Age5. Online Ordering 835.1 Analyzing traffic patterns 845.2 Abandoned shopping carts 855.3 Remarketing 867 Hiring Help 891. Where to Find Advertising Help 892. Working with Interns 903. Working with Independent Contractors 924. Working with Agencies 945. Finding Help Online 956. Communicating with Freelancers and Agencies 966.1 Before you begin a project 976.2 Know what you want 986.3 Have a budget in mind 986.4 Put it in writing 986.5 Keep in touch 988 Format Options and Opportunities 1011. Traditional Direct Mail Packages 1012. Letter Mailings 1022.1 Identify your audience 1032.2 Define your offer 1042.3 Outline your letter 1042.4 Compose a benefit-oriented headline 1042.5 Get to the point 1052.6 Convey a clear selling message 1052.7 Write with design in mind 1052.8 Personalization 1063. Catalogs and Brochures 1064. Postcards 1075. Product Samples 1076. Dimensional Mailings 1087. DVD and CD Mailings 108Contents ix8. Email Marketing 1089. Choosing a Format 10910. Combining Options in a Direct Mail Campaign 11010.1 Leveraging traditional direct mail and onlineoptions 11110.2 Quick-response codes 11511. Printing Considerations 1159 Postal Procedures and Regulations 1211. Efficiencies through Direct Mail 1232. Business Tools 1243. What’s on the Horizon for USPS and Canada Post? 12510 How to Test and Evaluate Results 1271. What Is a Good Response Rate? 1272. Measuring Response 1292.1 Measuring traditional direct mail response 1292.2 Tracking online response 13011 Social Media Marketing 1331. What Social Media Can Do for You 1342. Finding Your Focus 1353. The Top Social Media Outlets 1363.1 Facebook 1363.2 LinkedIn 1383.3 Twitter 1394. Prioritizing Your Time and Efforts 1394.1 Pick the tools that are right for you and youraudience 1404.2 Consider maintaining multiple sites 1404.3 Connect with those you can learn from 1404.4 Maintain a clear focus 1414.5 Incorporate your social media with your website 1414.6 Keep your branding consistent 1414.7 Use analytics to track effectiveness 141x Direct Mail in the Digital Age4.8 Cross-pollinate 1424.9 Repurpose content to maximize the use ofyour time 1424.10 Get involved 1424.11 Streamline your social media activities 1434.12 Social media may not be right for your business 14312 The Future of Direct Mail Marketing 1451. An Evolution of Consumer Interaction 1462. What the Experts Have to Say 148Resources 153Magazines (and Their Associated Online Sites) 153Blogs and Websites 153Tables1 Goal Statements from Direct Mail Campaigns 142 Email List Vendors 50