In every marketing campaign, there exists a handful of myths and misconceptions about both the method and the results that the marketing will bring. Direct mail marketing isn’t any different. What myths are you believing? Keep reading to find out the direct mail marketing myths that you’ve been tricked into believing.
#1 – If They Don’t Respond Immediately, They’re Not Going To
Many mail marketers figure that if a customer wants their product, they’re going to call instantly. And even if you don’t put that belief into words exactly, you might consider your direct mail marketing campaign a complete failure if you haven’t received your expected calls within the first few days. There is a grain of truth in this myth, though. If your offer has a ‘deadline’ on it, then the chances of you receiving a response after a certain period of time does diminish. Too many well-written pieces of mail have been read by a potential customer, who liked the idea and wanted to use your services, but then lost the letter or placed it down and never picked it back up again. But, especially if you work in big industries such as real estate, there’s always the possibility that someone just isn’t ready to use your services – but will be in a few months or so. That letter can sit on someone’s counter for weeks before it’s finally reconsidered and the call is made. So don’t give up your campaign as lost when you don’t get the expected response rate in the first few days.
#2 – Ads Can Only Be Used to Sell a Product or a Service
At first glance, this myth seems like it’s not, well, a myth. Of course ads are selling a product or service. But in reality, ads that do sell a product or service are inferior to another kind of ad: an ad that draws in prospects. An ad that wants people to simply take a look at their company and buy something from them will receive buyers. An ad that offers something for free, i.e. information, is just asking for prospects – for people who will start to grow interested in your company, start trusting your company, and, finally, start buying from your company. This is extremely important for direct mail marketing. While you can have a letter that tells the reader to simply pick up the phone and buy something from them, it’s a good idea to have an ‘offer’ in your letter before you ask the potential customer to commit. No one wants to commit to a product from a company they know nothing about.
#3 – The Right Approach Will Get a Buyer, Even if People Don’t Like My Product
The truth is, a direct mail marketing campaign is not as much about the effectiveness of your letter as the effectiveness of your mailing list. Your mailing list is extremely important, because that list needs to be composed of people who already want your product! No matter how much you try, you’re not going to find a way to sell your product to people who just don’t want it. Find people who will actually need your services, and then give them the tools to find you. That’s why you need to carefully research the mailing list that you want to purchase, and why you need a mailing list in the first place.
#4 – I Have to Come Up with Something New to Generate Buyers
Are you racking your brain, trying to think of a new, unstoppable approach to direct mail marketing? The approach that will get you a 20% response rate, that will get buyers begging to purchase your product? Stop it. New ideas are just old ideas that failed. You don’t want something new and amazing, you want something that’s been proven to work. Although there are a few great, innovative direct mail campaigns out there that were invented recently, it’s not a good idea to start your marketing campaign with experimentation. Start with what you’ve learned, and then use the responses from that to plan – not to guess – the most effective marketing campaign.
#5 – Clients Understand the Great Offer That I’m Giving Them
What are you offering in your direct mail marketing? If you’re offering something that you think is an amazing deal, you may have failed to clearly explain why what you’re offering is so great. If you want to have a good offer, first think up the offer, and then explain – both to yourself and to the client – why it’s such a good offer. You don’t necessarily have to do this in the letter that you send out to your mailing list, although if you can fit in a step-by-step explanation of the value of your offer, then you should do that. You can do it on your website – which you should refer to in your letter – or you can do it over the phone. Just make sure that the client understands the value of your offer.
These tips will help you as you start your direct mail marketing campaign. Keep an open mindset and, after you’ve started to see what works and what doesn’t, don’t be afraid to make your own rules. Every product is different, and only you can know what will best get you buyers. That said, remember these tips and make sure you get the right message across to your potential clients.