Direct Mailing – Delivering your Message and Bring your Customers to your Door

Seven Steps to Direct Mailing:

Step 1:  What's your Offer?

• What are you offering and why do your customers need it?
• What do your customers need to do when they read your direct mail piece to get your offer?
• Does your offer create excitement, appeal to your customers, and make it easy for them to take action?

•  Mail a post card that announces a special sale
• Send a coupon calendar
• Mail a brochure that previews future in-store events
• Team up with neighboring businesses for a block party.
• Mail a special occasion or holiday self-mailer.

Step 2:  Determine how your customers will respond to your offer?

• Do they come to your store, respond to a website, an e-mail, a personal url, use a coupon, send in a prepaid post card?

Step 3:   How will you know if your offer was successful?

• Gather and measure your data
• Track your inquiries and the number of coupons redeemed

 Step 4:  Plan your budget:

• Determine how much you can spend on this campaign.
• Include design, printing, and postal costs.
• Decide if you need to rent a mailing list to reach customers

 Step 5:  Determine your customers and target that audience

• Build your customer data list by using a guest book
• Create a frequent buyer program
• Hold drawings for prizes and gather customer info
• Rent a mailing list from a mail list broker

 Step 6:  Create your Direct Mail Piece

• Decide on its size and format
• Tell your story/message (text)
• Design it:  Make it appealing with graphics and include your logos
• Print - high quality pieces
• Young's Printing can help you with your design and printing needs.  Young's Printing

 Step 7:  Mail It

• United States Postal Service (USPS) can send your direct mail piece by First Class Mail or Standard Mail.  Visit your local Post Office today for details or view their Guide to Mailing Requirements at USPS A Customers Guide to Mailing