Clarity

Clarity is essential in your direct mail. You want to make sure that your potential customers understand what you are trying to say, or your mail is going to end up in the garbage.  Don’t confuse your prospects with confusing words. You want to ask yourself, if I was reading this, would I clearly understand it right away? Consider having a few co-workers proof read the document, so that you can have multiple opinions before sending it out.

Keep it Simple

With direct marketing, usually the shorter and simpler your piece of mail is, the better. Try not to clutter the document. You don’t want to risk having it thrown in the trash because your prospects don’t want to take the time to read through entire paragraphs. Make it so that they can understand exactly what your message is by glancing at the piece of mail. Consider using big bold phrases, and direct them to what they can do to learn more. Think of it more as a billboard rather than a letter. The point of it is to capture attention quickly.

Make a Solid Offer

It’s simple, people like saving money, and if you are extending them an offer that is going to save them money (assuming you have targeted the right people on your mailing list), then they are going to check out what you have to say. If you are trying to drive more traffic to your website, perhaps you can offer them 10 percent off their next online purchase if they sign up for your rewards membership on your website, or something along those lines. This way, by paying a small price, you are driving traffic to your website. And once they are there, chances are they are going to do a little browsing around. This is a good way to develop long term customers.

Develop a Good Color Scheme

Setting up a good color scheme is a good idea if you want your postcard to catch your prospects eye. Boring white pieces of paper, with some text written on it explaining your offer, rarely ever catches the eye of your prospect. Consider utilizing colors that effectively catch the eye. Once it catches their eye, you already have their attention.

Timing

This is an interesting idea. Consider timing when you really want you direct mail to reach the eyes of your prospects. For example, if your company sells toys or other children’s products, consider increasing the amount of direct mail you send out around the holiday season. During this time of the year, parents are constantly looking through mail for coupons and other offers for present ideas. If you own a house cleaning business, consider increasing the flow of your direct mail during the spring time. Once winter is over, people want to get there houses all cleaned up. It’s called “spring cleaning” for a reason. Really sit down and think to yourself if there is a specific time of the year where your product or service sees an increase in sales, and consider forming your direct mail campaign around that.

Utilize Strong Content

The message is the most important part of the entire campaign. Having a strong, clear message will greatly increase the chance that the prospect will take time out of their busy day to read your e-mail. Remember many consumers get flooded with marketing messages in their inbox, so you need to make sure your content is strong and stands out from the rest.

Avoid Looking Like Spam

Like I said before, many consumers are flooded with marketing messages every single day. So it is important to avoid making your e-mail look like spam, or they will not give it more than a split second before they send it to the trash. Avoid using all capital letters, or promising some great promotion in the subject line. We all ignore those e-mails we get that say “GREAT OFFER HERE” or “OFFER ENDS TODAY, READ NOW!!” don’t we? So you need to make sure that your e-mail looks like something that you would actually be interested in opening and finding out more about.

Get Permission from the Recipient

Before you start sending numerous e-mails to these people, I would recommend getting their permission first. This can be done by having them sign up for you e-mail newsletter. You don’t want to just randomly start sending e-mails to random people, and hope that they will be interested in what you have to say.

Be Professional

It is extremely important to be professional in all of the e-mails you send out during your campaign. It’s what your readers will use to take you seriously, instead of just sending your message to the trash. Make sure to you proper grammar and never use online slangs such as “lol”. That will make you look unprofessional, which will display to your readers that you simply don’t care what they think about you.

Learn From Your Mistakes

This could ultimately be one of the most important parts of running an E-mail marketing campaign. No one is ever going to be perfect with anything on their first attempt. It’s impossible. But if you learn from your mistakes in the past, and put forth the effort to improve on those things the next time around, you are almost guaranteed to improve. So remember the mistakes you make, and keep them in the back of your mind for next time around.

• QR codes are linked to specific web pages that are meant for your prospects to see. Whether that be a personalized URL for that individual, or just a generic web page. Including QR codes into your campaign makes it easier for the prospect to visit that page. Think about it, all they have to do is scan the bar code on their smart phone and it delivers them to that web page directly in a matter of seconds. This is much quicker than including a URL for them to put into their computer. However, you have to consider that not everyone has smart phones, so it is essential that you include the URL as well.
• You can integrate a pURL marketing campaign with a QR code campaign to really maximize your ROI. If you do not know what pURL marketing is, it can be summed up as a campaign where you create personalized web pages for each individual prospect you are targeting. They yield extremely high ROI rates. And including QR codes in this campaign will make it easier for the prospect to just scan the code and visit their page, so you can really get the most bang for your buck with this kind of campaign.
• Adding QR codes into your direct mail campaign can create interest in your prospect, which can result in them visiting your page to check out your other offers. If a consumer sees a QR code on a piece of direct mail advertising one of your offers, they might think that you have other interesting offers on your website, which might spark some interest, leading them to visit the link.
• Another interesting way that a QR code can enhance your direct mail campaign is that you can link it to a video. You can direct your prospects to a video where you clearly explain the offer that you are presenting to them. This way if there is any confusion about it, you can take this opportunity to clear things up, and make it more understandable for that individual.
• QR codes are trackable, so this means that you can see which prospects have visited scanned the code and visited the link, and which prospects have not. This can allow you to create an effective follow up plan because you will be able to see which prospects to focus your resources on, and which ones seem to be a lost cause.

When QR codes are used correctly, they can be an extremely successful tool to use in a direct mail campaign.  They engage your customers directly, and create a bridge from your offline advertising, and your online advertising. Making sure a campaign is executed properly is key to getting the highest ROI you can achieve.

Planning

Just as with any other marketing campaign, it is important to plan ahead of time to try and avoid failure. Think very carefully about how you want the QR code implemented into your campaign, and what purpose it will serve. Do you want it to deliver them to a pURL page? Or bring them to your company’s website? Or perhaps lead them to a page to sign up for your e-mail mailing list? Whatever the reason is, you need to make sure that you carefully plan it ahead of time.

Put Yourself in the Shoes of the User

Imagine yourself as the receiver of the QR code. Would you want to see a QR code on that piece of mail? Consider how big or small it should be, or where it should be placed on the mail. These factors are very important to a successful campaign. You have to make sure that they will see it for it to be scanned.

Create Quality Codes

It is important that the quality of your QR codes are good, or it will hurt your ROI. Make sure to test your codes before sending them out to assure that they are functioning properly. Nothing could be worse than having an extremely interested prospect see your code and not be able to access it because of a technical error.

Include Another Option

For those of your customers who may not have smart phones that can easily scan these QR codes, it is important to provide another option for them to receive your message. Perhaps include a URL to the page as well. This way you still have the convenience of the QR code for those who can access it, and the people without access can still visit the page.

Testing Your Campaign

As with most types of marketing campaigns, it is essential to test, and track the results of your campaign in an effort to improve it. You can see who is scanning their QR codes when you send them, and who isn’t. This will allow you to follow up, and determine who is not worth spending any more resources on trying to get them to scan your codes.

1. Hand Write the addresses and the return addresses on the envelopes. Doing this will show the customers that you care enough to take the time to add a little bit of a personal touch, and also it will avoid looking like spam.
2. Target the right people. It is essential to have a solid mailing list in order for you to get your letter opened. If the prospects just simply don’t care about your offer, they won’t take the time to open your letter.
3. Catch the customers interest.  You want to make them want to open your letter, let them know on the outside that an interesting offer is waiting for them inside. But it is important not to sound like spam. We’ve seen things like “FREE TV”, or along those lines, and I can’t help but question their credibility.
4. Be careful as to how much you put your company logo on the envelope. Big corporations tend to have more success with this because their brand is so well known, but for a small business, a plain white hand written envelope will catch the eye.
5. You also don’t want to give away to much information away on the outside of the letter. Remember the objective of the direct mail campaign is to get your letter opened, so it is important that the prospect still has to open your letter to find out more.
6. Address the envelope to the prospect. Don’t just address the envelope to “homeowner” or something else along those lines. Doing this will add another personal touch to your direct mail campaign.
7. Constantly testing your campaign is a good idea. Figure out what is working, and what is not working so well. Find statistics to track your campaign and figure out what you can do in the future that will help your campaign succeed.

So now you have a few tips to get you started on your direct mail campaign. Remember, these tips are not a sure fire way to succeed at your campaign, it takes time and effort to figure out how to run a successful direct mail campaign. So get out there and get started, you are on your way to developing a great direct mail campaign!

First off all let’s take a minute to clear the air, just in case you are not yet familiar with pURL marketing. pURL Marketing is a form of direct mail marketing aimed to deliver a personalized message to your prospect. It’s a page that speaks directly to your customer. It starts with a postcard directing them to their very own personalized URL. When they get there, they will likely see their name appear many times on the web page, and any other personalized content the marketers can come up with. The possibilities are endless. Now let’s talk about what makes these campaigns so great

Enhanced Tracking

A pURL campaign allows the marketer to track every aspect of the campaign. This is not something that could have been done effectively with a traditional direct mail campaign. The marketer can see who has visited their personalized page, and who has not visited their page. This allows the marketer to develop a perfect follow up plan. They know exactly who is not visiting their pages, so they can create some sort of follow up directed to those people to further their chances of responding. As opposed to a direct mail campaign directing prospects to a generic home page, where they can see the number of “hits” on the page, but have no idea where those hits are coming from. They do not know who is responding to the direct mail and who isn’t. This leaves them with no real follow up plan, and often leads to foolish spending of follow up dollars.

 Engagement

With pURL marketing, you really have a chance to engage with your prospects. This is important, because it makes the prospect feel like your company actually cares about them. This will lead to a higher likelihood of a response from that prospect. You could do multiple things that engage your prospects. For starters, the pURL page is likely going to include their name, which will keep them engaged while they read about your offer. You could also try including personalized videos, where you explain your offer, while addressing the prospect by name. This kind of engagement will really make your prospects feel as though they are having a conversation with you personally.

Affordable

pURLs can be very affordable compared to your average direct mail campaign. They are extremely cost effective, and with today’s economy, that is a big factor to consider for many businesses, especially smaller businesses that do not have the capital of large corporations. But also, they provide improved response rates. So if you can save money, and achieve greater results from your marketing efforts, then why not give it a try?

Get Permission Before Sending

It is important that you get permission from the people that you are trying to send e-mails to before you actually send them e-mails. Have people sign up for your e-mails, this will give you a list to send to. It is important to not just randomly send out a bunch of e-mails to people without their permission because if this is the case, most people are going to see it as spam and not even give your message the time of day. So remember, build some sort of e-mail list before starting your e-mail marketing campaign.

Segment Your Database

It is important to segment your database in a way so that people are only receiving e-mails that pertain to them. Think about it like this, a university segments their database based on year in school. Freshman are the ones who are receiving the “welcome to campus e-mails”, and “fun stuff to do on campus e-mails”, while juniors are receiving information about job fairs, or internships that might fit. And seniors are receiving information about life after school, and information about graduation. So you see it is important to segment your database in such a way for your marketing efforts as well. Are the freshman going to read e-mails about graduation, or are the juniors or seniors going to waste their time reading welcome to campus e-mails. The answer is no, and after awhile they will begin to tune out all of your e-mails. The same applies for your marketing efforts as well, so that is why it is so important to segment your database.

Customize Your Message

Include the customer’s name in the e-mails that you are sending in your campaign. Adding a name to them will keep that person engaged in the message, and more likely to read on. Therefore if the person is more likely to keep reading, they are more likely to respond to your offer. People are more likely to respond to their own name, so adding their name to your e-mails greatly increases your chances of a response from that individual.

Keep Track of Your Campaign

It is essential to keep track of how your campaign is doing. Follow stats such as open rates, ROI, etc. If you don’t watch how the campaign is doing, then it could be wasting you a lot of money. Keeping track of your campaign also allows you to develop a solid follow up plan. You can see who is and who isn’t opening your e-mails. From there you can develop a plan to follow up with those individuals.

Another aspect that I feel is important to follow is unsubscribers.  When people unsubscribe to your e-mail list, there is a reason behind that. If you follow who unsubscribes, you can effectively find out why and what it was that you were doing wrong. Maybe develop a little survey to automatically send to all users who unsubscribe from your list. This will allow you to improve your efforts over time.

Design a Template

It might be a good idea to design some sort of template for your e-mails. Have it include some kind of color scheme, with a certain font etc. You can also include your company logo at the top and bottom, and have your signature in the e-mail. Designing a template like this will make your reader, more comfortable with your message, and less likely to write it off as spam.

List the Most Important Information First

Your e-mail software most likely limits the amount of characters that you can use in your subject line, so it is crucial that you fit the most important information into the subject first, before you run out of characters.

Don’t Make it Seem Like Spam

People get plenty of e-mails a day, so they are not going to waste their time opening e-mails that seem a little like spam. Don’t use all caps, for example “GREAT OFFER, OPEN NOW TO FIND OUT”, or don’t make ridiculous promises such as “making $2,000 a week working from home! Seriously, this really works! Check it out”. We’ve all seen these kinds of subjects, and honestly how many of us bother opening them?

Personalize

Take the time to write personalized subject lines for each of your prospects. When your prospect sees their name in the subject line it will seem less like it was an automated e-mail, and more like you are personally sending this e-mail to them.

Make Sure Your Content Matches Your Subject Line

There is a reason that the prospect opens your e-mail. They are interested in hearing more about what you have to say. If your content doesn’t match your subject line, it will leave your prospects confused, and most likely less willing to open your e-mails in the future.

Don’t be Vague

Tell the customer exactly what it is you have to say, they are going to want to know before the spend time opening your e-mail and reading it.

Make Your Subject Line Compelling

Make your prospect want to open your e-mail. Make them feel like if they are not opening your e-mail, then they are missing out.

Never Stop Testing

Last but not least never stop testing. It is important to constantly test what is working and what is not working. Figure out what subject lines are getting you a click rate, and what subject lines are not getting you a high click rate. Then figure out what it is about those subject lines that might be leading to that factor and try to apply those tactics to future subject lines, and see if that works.

Gather Information

This is the most obvious step in the process of developing an effective database. You are going to want to gather as much information about your customers as possible to create an effective database. Ask for first name, last name, address, email address, telephone number, etc. The more information you have about your customers, the easier it will be to communicate with them.

Picking a System

Now that you have all of the customer information gathered, it’s time to pick the right system for you. If you run a small business or you don’t know too much about computers, chances are you are going to outsource it, and purchase a pre made system. If this is the case, make sure to do your research to find the right system for you. However if you have the resources to create your own system, it is absolutely essential that you test the system thoroughly before putting it to use. Once your campaign has begun, you cannot afford a disaster with your database.

Attention to Detail

Alright so now you have your system all set up, and it’s time to input the information that you gathered earlier. I cannot stress enough how important that it is to pay close attention to the details of the information when you are entering it into your database. Even a simple mistake in the information can cost you when it comes to your ROI. For example, if you enter John Smiths address into your database incorrectly, and your company is sending out direct mail to all of the customers in your database, you are going to spend money to print John Smith a piece of the mail, but if his address is wrong he is never going to receive your mail. Every little bit of money wasted counts, especially when you are first starting off, so it is extremely important to pay attention to detail when entering customer information. Not only will you waste the money on the printing, but you could potentially lose the sale from John Smith as well.

Communication

So now that your database is all set up, and the information is all entered correctly, your efforts towards your database should be done right? Wrong! Once your database is established, it’s important to have some sort of regular communication with your customers to make sure that their information is still accurate. Send them emails every once in a while to ask them to verify their information is still accurate. Trust me it is worth your time!

Add pictures of your client (However, nothing creepy!)

Depending on the type of your business, I would say it is ok to add some pictures of your prospect. For example, if you have done sales with this person in the past, and perhaps you’ve taken photos with this person in a professional setting it would be ok to add some of those photos to the page. However, let’s say you have purchased a leads list for your selling, and you have never met anybody on the list, I would try to refrain from going on to their facebook and snagging some pictures from there. That can come off as a little creepy.  Also refrain from using pictures that include their family or kids because you never know how some people would react to that.

Include Pre Filled Order Forms

If you have done business with this client in the past, and you already know a good amount of their personal information, you can set up the pURL so that the order form can be pre filled with their information that was used in the past to order. This will show the customer that you took the time to realize that you have done business with this client in the past, and have developed a relationship with them.

Add Videos

This is a great one! Adding some kind of personalized video, where you are speaking directly to the client who is visiting the page is a great way to engage on a personal level with your prospects. You can talk with them about the benefits your offer can provide them, all while addressing them by their name etc. This will make your customer feel as though they are directly having a conversation with you.

So all of these methods are things you can do to personalize your pURL landing pages beyond the basics, such as including their name etc. But really you can do anything you think off, the possibilities off personalization are literally endless. These are just a few suggestions to get you started on spicing up your pURL marketing campaign!