Direct mail has not gotten the amount of love it deserves. So today I’m going to give direct mail a little bit of love with these four easy marketing mail-out ideas. Your business is different. Everybody’s business is different. But I’m sure one of these four will make sense for you:
1. Send a hand-written note. This works for almost any business. When was the last time you received a hand-written note from anybody, really? It can be a note written to your customers, past clients, or even somebody you’d like to meet if you happen to have their mailing address. A hand-written note is powerful, personal, and it gets noticed. For those of you on a budget, this method is great because it doesn’t incur much monetary expenses. So consider writing hand-written notes. It’s a great marketing idea.
2. Put together a document or letter. It should include a call-to-action, such as an invitation to an educational event. But here’s the key—send it to them in a FedEx envelope. Ideally, they should have to sign off just to receive it. Listen, this is going to cost you a bit of money, but you know your marketing materials will get into the hands of your intended recipient. This is especially useful if you have a higher priced product or service, because it helps you connect with the decision maker(s).
Some of you may get signature-required letters a lot, but I have not received one from anyone in a long time. If you send me one, you’d totally stand out.
3. Send something of value. I believe a book is great, especially if you wrote it yourself. Again, this is another marketing idea we at Entre Results encourage people to think through. If you haven’t written one (yet), send something else. Maybe a different book that speaks directly to the recipient’s problems and needs. Even if they don’t read much or end up not using what you send them, it shows thought. It shows effort. It helps you get noticed. And in the package, you can include a small note with a call-to-action as well.
4. Send something creative or fun. One person I worked with many years ago sent something quite unique out to people they were trying to meet. It sounds bad, but the item was like a little foot. A creative, artistic, funny-looking foot. They sent it with a note saying that they just wanted to get their foot in the door, then they followed up by asking for a conversation. The idea here is to grab people’s attention and get them to remember you. In business, we should always strive to be creative. Marketing is all about creativity!
Be sure to bundle each of these direct mail ideas with a clear call-to-action or some type of “next step.” In addition, each mail-out you send should provide actual value to the recipient. So go ahead and take action on these, and have a better than amazing day.
