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MAKE A SUCCESS OF DIRECT MAIL
A key factor in building a winning direct mail campaign is having a clear idea of your target market and selecting a list that matches this market. Other areas that are just as important are the type of message you are sending and the offer you are making, right down to the type of paper you are using.
Remember - it doesn't matter how many mailings you send out - if you don't get it right, you won't get any responses . With figures from the Direct Marketing Association showing that companies wasted an estimated £95 million last year on direct mail campaigns, getting it wrong can prove to be very costly - both in terms of money and time.
Keep it simple
"Don't expect people to buy straight away, and don't try and make them buy straight away. You need more than one communication to make it work. Just expect them to be interested, and redirection to a website can be an effective way of capitalising on this awareness and interest,' advises Ben Harris, founder of new2marketing.com, which provides marketing services for start-ups and small businesses.
He suggests that you design your campaign with simplicity in mind - have one clear message.
"Don't tell your customers how good you are - tell them how you can solve their problem. Don't use cheap or coloured paper - or anything that looks like it's been homemade. If you send a voucher worth something, make sure it looks like it is worth something," he adds.
How much will it cost?
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As Harris explains, it's not about how much you spend, but how much you should expect to see as a return.
"If I was forced to give a number, I'd say you should allow for at least £2,000 if you want to do it properly," he suggests.
Protect yourself
According to data specialist Thomson Directories, sponsor of our Sales & Marketing channel, an increasing number of companies are registering not to receive unsolicited approaches via the phone, fax or e-mail. According to Jane Byrne, product manager at Thomson Directories, many smaller businesses are unaware of the dangers of not screening companies registered for the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) or Fax Preference Service (FPS).
"They are wasting time and money by contacting businesses who will not be interested, and can potentially incur a fine. It's important to note that the responsibility for final checking of preference registrations lies with the user and not the data provider," adds Byrne.
Be careful if you use mediums such as email for direct marketing purposes - forthcoming changes in the law mean you must obtain prior consent from recipients. If you don't, you could be liable for fines of up to £5,000. As email marketing becomes increasingly popular as part of an integrated marketing campaign, it is essential that only opt-in data is used.
"Email marketing has many benefits, ranging from cost to speed of response, but when doing a B2B campaign, it is vital to use only reputable data providers," advises Byrne.
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