Archive for February, 2010
Is Snail Mail Out of Commission?
Direct mail still remains an effective tool for generating leads and new business. Don’t get me wrong, email marketing is a fantastic way to stay in touch with clients and prospects and social networking is also a great tool. But amongst the lights and glamour of these new mediums that promise high impact for low dollar there still remains a marketing weapon that connects them all, the direct mail marketing piece.
Don’t take my word for it, check out this article by the Wall Street Journal. As an example in the article, several businesses decided to cut their direct mail marketing, mostly based on cost and realized that they were losing 25% in profits.
So here’s what you do. Use the email marketing and direct mailing combined to make your marketing more efficient.
Notice how I didn’t highlight increase results, although that may very well happen with combining various marketing tools. However, I am more excited at the increased effectiveness of your marketing endeavors. Consider this. Local business is looking to increase the number of quality contacts for their email marketing so that they can really connect with those people most interested in their offerings.
They can send out a blanket postcard and see how many people actually pick-up the phone. They can purchase an email list and then be sent on a SPAM alert for send too many unwanted emails. Or they can send out a postcard offering a special premium or offer for signing up for their email list. This combination of tools can be a powerful way to build your business marketing contacts and leads. Don’t eliminate direct mail, use it for effective promotion.
