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New MSN search engine: How good is it?
If you have an online business or you just use Internet as one of your marketing tools, you know that how important are the search engines in your quest to get more targeted visitors to your website. The changes in search engine field can have unexpected ...

The Seven Vital Steps You Must Know To Ensure Direct Mail Success
1. Your Most Valuable Asset A mailing list of valued customers is the single most important asset you have. Loyal customers will spend an average of five times more in your business than new customers. Plus it costs ten times more to acquire a new ...

Tips For Successfully Outsourcing Services To Freelancers Or Outsourcing Service Providers
Small businesses and entrepreneurs always benefit by outsourcing their services to professional service providers or freelancers as this saves them time and money. The money saved due to outsourcing can be effectively and successfully utilized to focus ...


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Using Direct Mail to Improve Business
 

There are a number of necessary fundamentals. First, you must have an objective. It may be to increase store sales. Perhaps an offer such as a free gift will do the trick. Just be sure to have a clear purpose. It reduces the chance of passing along a confusing message.

Then, you'll need to have a mailing list. Perhaps you have a customer database you've been collecting. This is obviously a good group. Additionally, there are list brokers who can help you get lists that are very targeted, in terms of geography and interests. These are useful for attracting new customers, while your database is great for increasing purchases from your core of customers.

The next step is creating the piece. Working internally or with outside freelance copy writers and graphic designers are possible routes. Letters should clearly explain benefits. Use "you" instead of "we." Offers should have deadlines to


create a sense of urgency.

Then, working to get your materials printed and mailed is the next step. If the mailing is small, a local Kinkos and some stamps may do the trick. If it is a large mailing, you may want to work with a printer and mailing house. They have economies of scale and equipment that will allow you to obtain postage discounts from presorting.

Last, but not least, track response. This may be as simple as collecting coupons. If 10 people responded out of 100, you know the response rate right there. Then make changes and test future mailings to improve return on investment.

Direct mail is often overlooked. However, it is a very effective medium. Many even use it very effectively to drive traffic to their website. As a small business, it is worth considering. The USPS.gov has a wide variety of resources available if you are interested in more information.

brettdalybusiness.blogspot.com

About the Author
Brett Daly is a Marketing Specialist for a software firm in the mailing and printing industries. He has an MBA and a B.S. in marketing with a minor in political science from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

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