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Direct Mail - Is it JUNK?

Justifiable Unsolicited New Knowledge "JUNK" Mail  ©

According to source:

2005 Vertis Customer Focus^:®

Direct Mail Survey

TOP 3 Reasons

Consumers Open Direct Mail Pieces

69% Timing                            

  63% Package Looks Interesting

 51% Special Offer or Discount

Think about it. 

You've JUSTIFIED a mailing to an UNSOLICITED target regarding NEW KNOWLEDGE about something you trust your targeted customer believes may be valuable and worth their time taking a peek at.  

If you've done your homework correctly, you'll be mailing your message to a targeted audience that is hungry to know what new ideas you may have to offer them, and if you've done a good job communicating that message to them properly, they will have a positive response and you will GROW YOUR BUSINESS.

Having an address properly standardized and the format designed as is recommended by the Postal Service highly increases the chances of your product being successfully delivered in a timely fashion, as a matter of fact it guarantees it. It will not be handled like the "real junk mail" that was never researched properly or followed Postal regulations.

Step One:  Target your audience. Send your message to those who are most likely to respond.  

The written word is still the best media to get the message across in today's business world. When you mail it, the target will See it, Touch it and with the new technology today, even Smell it, Taste it or Listen to it. 

When you advertise on the Radio, you're sending a message into thin air hoping that the people listening will give an ear to your message. Ask yourself how many times you've been in the car driving and not heard one word on the radio, because you're on your cell phone or thinking about work or the family. Wasted air time, wasted advertising dollars. 

When you advertise on TV you are hoping that everyone is tuned in to your channel. As you know there are hundreds of channels within Cable, Satellite and Basic TV to be watching. Good Luck if they are tuned into your channel. Wasted air time, wasted advertising dollars.

People still appreciate a good deal. People appreciate competitive pricing and ideas that will save them time or money.  People appreciate knowing when their Harley dealership is having a sale...  Well maybe only HOG members like myself do, but that's why you have best done your demographics homework and Address Hygiene. People are hungry to save money, the right audience just needs to hear about it in a timely manner. 

Step Two:  Proper Address Standardization. Address Hygiene. What about addresses? An expert in mail center solutions once said, "Three of the most important words in the shipping and mailing industry are:  Database, Database, Database."  Okay, maybe it was me that said that, but if your database is off, your whole campaign will suffer.

Wow! What a message. If you've "scrubbed" your database, meaning taken out the Duplicates, taken out the BAD addresses, taken out the Addresses that Don't Match the United States Postal Service's National Database, maybe even do a NCOA (National Change of Address), and corrected those errors as well as making some heads up design changes on the envelope, you will not have to worry about the Postal Service discarding your Mailpiece because you will have taken the initiative to have the right person associated to the right address who wants to hear about your message.

I know of a businessperson who swore the Postal Service did not process his Mail pieces. He claimed the Postal Service had to have just thrown his mail in the dumpster. This customer, who did a direct mail campaign, looked a Postal Service employee square in the eye, emphatic that the Postal Service threw out his Mailpiece.  How did he know this? Because he said no one responded to his advertisement, he paused and then added, "Well I only received a few responses".

Ooops. Well that sure was a sign the Postal Service didn't mail it. Right?  . . . . . . . . Wrong!

There could be a number of reasons why this Mailpiece did not elicit a response.  Maybe - just maybe - the message was not worth responding to because the company sending it didn't do their homework.  Or maybe the database was not cleaned up and the pieces weren't addressed properly.  One thing is certain - I highly doubt the Postal Service was to blame for their lack of response.  

When was the last time you didn't, (DID NOT) get your phone bill, gas bill, electric bill?  When was the last time you got a phone call from those companies telling you they didn't receive your check?   When was the last time you didn't get your tax bill? Probably never. When I ask this question in my seminar/workshops I rarely have a hand raised.

These organizations know who you are and where you are - they take their customers databases seriously. 

Following their lead in Database Hygiene Maintenance and Mailpiece Design is a huge step toward getting the results you are looking for in your direct mail campaign efforts. 

So are you sending out "JUNK" Mail?

Justifiable Unsolicited New Knowledge

or

are you just sending out junk? 

Feed Back: Let us know what your thoughts are about using mail as a tool for getting your written communications message to the end user. We know many happy customers, who do their homework.

HINT: see www.usps.com for CASS and NCOA vendors who will help you clean your database and make your mailings more successful.

We do mail analysis for companies. Just call or write us to set up a time to discuss your concerns and issues. We might be able to handle them right over the phone. If we don't have the answer we will get you the correct answer.

Looking forward to helping you become more efficient and cost conscious .

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