Rising Postal Rates? Don?t Cut Down the Direct Mail
The United States Post Office in the past had some trouble with its finances and their solution was to raise the postal rates. Whether or not you agree with this approach to trying to stay in business, like the weather and government in general, it's something you have to live with. Many companies have used this as a reason to send out fewer or smaller mailings in an attempt to keep their costs down. Here's a quote from an issue of Direct Marketing News: "Despite a string of healthy annual increases, the growth of direct mail expenditures is expected to slow over the next four years. Direct mail continued to grow in 2001 but slowed because of the anthrax scare", the study said. The study also said, "Direct mail will continue to expand during the forecast period but at a slower pace than in the past because of the emergence of e-mail marketing and postal rate hikes, which will force marketers to limit mailings." The question is: should you agree with this and follow the trend, or should you turn it to your advantage? Just think, with fewer mailing pieces arriving in your customers' or prospects' mailboxes, your glossy, full-color postcards are going to stand out even more and have a greater chance of producing the desired response. When you start looking at what you have to gain by increasing the amount of direct mail marketing you do and what you have to lose by cutting back, there really isn't a question as to which way to go. Of course you should be smart about your mailings. Make sure they are really well targeted and put a little more thought into the design and content so as to make sure they impinge. That just makes sense. So while others are cutting their own throats by cutting back on direct mailing, you can benefit by increasing yours and sending your postcards into a less heavily glutted marketplace where they will receive more attention. Win-win. Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she's sharing her marketing secrets with others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at http://www.postcardmania.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Large One?
Here's a proven, and truly easy way to start increasing your sales, immediately.
Newsletters - A Great Way to Build Business Relationships
This is an excellent way to grow your business using your
mailing list (which I trust you are constantly building).
However, you have to accept that there are people who'll
read your newsletter and there are those who won't.
Business Postcard Marketing: 35 Ways to Use It
Postcards are an effective way for many business owners and marketing managers to attract new customers and increase sales from existing ones. Postcards are inexpensive to produce and mail. You can produce one in less time than you need for a letter or self-mailer. You can use postcards in dozens of ways to promote your business.
Direct Marketing: Overlooked, Underappreciated, and Unstoppable
Every business needs customers, but more importantly every business needs to maintain those customers while constantly retaining new ones. The only successful way of doing this is by learning everything about your customers, including who they are? What do they have in common? Do they share a hobby, an age range, a life stage, or a geographic community? Can you break them down into groups? The answers to these questions hold a wealth of information for you. Although direct marketing can be overlooked by many businesses, here are statistics proving the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns over the years.
Knock, knock. Whos There? Your Target Market, Are You Listening?
Have you ever had a conversation with a person who wasn't listening to anything you said?
Identify The Ideal Target Audience With These 5 Tips
Narrowing your focus to one primary group of people is often difficult for small business owners. They want to help everyone - and very often their product or service CAN help a variety of people.
Using Business Cards as Invitations
Business card size works well
for invitations to special events.
Freebie Seekers? Turn Them Into Clients and Referrers - or Turn them Far, Far Away
Many service business owners these days are
"giving away" their business services ? and then
wonder why people aren't hiring them in droves. In
the name of "marketing," business owners are
providing way too much information for free. Some
shifts in thinking are necessary if these business
owners expect to be in business years from now.
Even trained coaches, I believe, do too much
pro-bono work. Why? They say that they need to
practice, but the bottom line, IMO, is that they
don't value their gifts.
Always On Stage - 3 Quick Tips for Trade Show Exhibitors
Do you feel uncomfortable when you're in the trade show
booth? Like folks are looking at you? Like you're on stage?
Got as little stage fright?
How Can I Break Into Cliques?
Have you ever gone to a networking function and seen THE person who you feel could help you most there, except that person is surrounded by people ALL the time? Have you ever tried to enter into a conversation with that circle of people, only to have gotten the feeling you were intruding? How do you get an audience with a person who is constantly surrounded by "gatekeepers"? This happens often at gatherings that do not have a structured agenda- in other words in places where open networking is promoted. Here's an effective approach to meeting the person you want to meet.
Fundraising: How To Avoid Three Common Mistakes
I'm a board member of a local nonprofit and we are about to launch our annual campaign. Like other nonprofits in our community, we are facing a very competitive funding environment. There are more agencies seeking more money from more sophisticated donors.
21 Must-Have Web Site Elements
Your Web site should be the cornerstone of your client seduction efforts. The site is your silent salesperson -- the one with whom prospective clients visit before granting you permission to meet with them.
How Testimonials Can Put You in the Spotlight
If you need evidence that a testimonial or referral can help you, let me tell you a personal story:
Maximum Marketing - Minimum Budget
Two years ago I started my small Virtual Assistant business with a non-existent marketing budget. I borrowed marketing books from the library, read countless articles on the Internet and joined a professional trade association of my peers. I learned hundreds of marketing techniques and one valuable lesson. The lesson I learned is that the financial ruin of large companies is often achieved by incredibly expensive and glitzy marketing plans that do not take into account the company's ability to earn a profit. Over time, I found that the most effective marketing techniques that allow a company to make a profit are those that are inexpensive or free. What a fantastic discovery for me at that time! This knowledge, combined with hard work and excellent customer service, enabled my small business to expand at a phenomenal rate.
How to Put the Profit Producing Power of Couponing to Work for You
Coupons have proven themselves to be highly effective sales tools for every conceivable size and type of business.
Great Marketing is Like Making a Great Movie
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
The Information Publishers Secret Resource Guide To Blow Customers Away!
Have you ever heard the saying, "Give and you shall receive"?
Design, Design, Design
You need only one card, but make it noticeable. Make sure it says the right thing.
Small Business Bonzai Marketing
Do you own a small business? Do you wish to increase sales? Do you wish to draw more customers into your store or find more customers for your service business? You can do this for a relatively low cost by building as small sales team of high-energy people. Direct Sales marketing will help increase your business, future referrals and image in the community. Letting potential clients know you want their business is the best way to attract new customers to your business. To do this correctly you will need a small budget set aside for a one week Bonzai Marketing Program;
Promotional Magnets: Promotion that Sticks
Some people are happy with just a business card. For others it's not enough to be glanced at once and packed away. They want to be attached to something that you have to open in order to eat and therefore live.
|