Junk, junk, bills, junk, rubbish, trash. Sound familiar? That's the usual sound of the morning post delivery as busy office workers sift through the pile of junk mail to find something that will really interest them.
Trying to grab the attention of even previous customers can be a time consuming and often fruitless task and if your services are only required infrequently throughout the year, it can be difficult to inform them of any new products or services that you are offering.
If you are having trouble making modern marketing methods such as social networking work for you then you might be considering the good old fashioned letter and brochure method of bringing your new services to the attention of your customer database.
Trouble is everyone else is also relying on this method. So what can you do make sure your mailer gets seen and noticed by the right people who will then have your company at the front of their mind?
For this it's time to use a little imagination! The most successful mailers are those that use ingenuity and stand out from the crowd. Why send a brochure covered in plastic when you could send your customers a premium business gift pack? You should be showing your previous customers your gratitude for their purchases and illustrating that their custom is valued, so a little personalisation is called for.
Make a Great First Impression
Step one is getting your mailer through to the person you are targeting, step two is getting them to open it. If your mailer screams "junk mail" then there's only one place it's headed, the recycling. Make your packaging unique, different and intriguing to make sure that your target actually opens what you are sending them.
Grab Your Reader's Attention
Good copy is a must and many companies can spend a lot of time and money making sure that their copy is engaging and informative. You also have to bear in mind that the first thing people will do is scan the page to get to the important bit, so make sure that the important bit is near the top, easy to spot and interesting enough to make your target want to keep on reading.
Also make sure that you include a call to action at the end. Think about what it is that you want your reader to do as a result of your mailer and instruct them on how to do it.
Sweeten the Deal
One thing is for sure, everybody likes free stuff. Use your mailer to give your customers an exclusive deal that you will only be offering to the recipients of your mailer.
You can also grab their attention early by putting business gifts into the mailer. Putting an executive business gift into your pack that is engraved with your details will ensure that your web address and phone number will be displayed on their desk all year round.
The most practical business gifts are always the most effective as they will serving a functional purpose rather than just shamelessly promoting your company, so consider what your recipients might use when thinking about your business gift.
When analysing your marketing plan it is important to remember that an untapped gold mine may well be sitting there in your database. If your previous customers are not aware of what other relevant products and services you offer then they may well be going to your competitors for items that you could readily provide.
Your previous customers already know you and if you have provided an excellent service to them before then there will be a level of trust there based on experience. This goes a lot further than meaningless promises from your competitors, so make sure you consider the possibilities available to you and capitalise on these opportunities by using your imagination and some sweeteners such as business gifts in your mailers.
Posted by Alan Grainger
