So why do people bad mouth direct mail? Most likely it’s because they have not implemented it correctly and they lost money. Or it could be the fact that they did not know how to track the business that came from it, so they did not realize how profitable it was.

Let’s talk first about how to correctly implement a direct mail campaign. Please know that sending a single direct mail piece is usually not effective, and more so if you are an unknown brand. If a major brand sends out a single piece, they would get a decent response by the sheer fact that they have brand recognition, but you probably notice that even the big players in direct mail, send campaigns. A campaign implies that there will be more than one mailing as it should be. You need to plan to reach a specific target market and do so with consistency. Studies show that between the third and fourth consistent exposure to your company, the response rate will start to dramatically improve. This means that if you have ever sent out a single direct or two-time mail piece you have cut your chances short.

So, is sending multiple direct mail pieces a sure fire guarantee of success? Probably not. Marketing is all about testing and tracking, so you will want to test different direct mail pieces, to see which one gets a better response. Always make sure your phone number and website are prominent, and it is ideal to have a response mechanism or unique URL set up to effectively measure your responses.

Need a pro to help you put it all together? Contact the small business marketing experts at PRstore today and we will help put you on track to direct mail success! Call us today at 602-595-4377.

According to 2008 data put out by SCORE, 30% of businesses did not survive their first two years and 50% of businesses did not survive their first 5 years.  With those grim statistics, it’s important to consider ways to lower the risk of failure.  Without a doubt, the more planning you put into a business the more likely you are to succeed.

Marketing plays a huge role is the success of a business, yet many fail to have a sufficient marketing budget or an effective plan.  Your marketing plan, or “game plan,” is your guide to getting your name out there and includes elements such as a web site, email marketing, direct mail, and promotional items to help build your brand.  The plan should also spell out how much money is required for each marketing strategy, and a timeline indicating the best timing for each tactic.

With limited dollars available for marketing, emphasis should be placed on getting the biggest bang for the buck!  You have to carefully consider the best ways to use those marketing dollars.  And it’s important to track your activity so you can analyze the return on your investment.  Some aspects of marketing can give you a quicker return (which we all like) and others are slower; as is the case with campaigns such as search engine marketing or long term direct mail campaigns.

The good news is that the small business marketing experts at PRstore can help you put together a winning strategy, and help you do it affordably and profitably.  Contact one of our marketing consultants so we can begin discussing your marketing game plan today!  You can reach us at 602-595-4377.