Direct Mail Marketing | Array Marketing Solutions

Before I was able to get my wife?s website ranking well on internet searches, one of the main ways we created new leads and business was with direct mail and we still find it to be a valuable marketing method. We chose postcards for two reasons. One, I was able to get them for very little expense and two; they are cheaper to mail than regular first class mail. In fact, its 16 cents less to mail a postcard (regular sized postcard) compared to a standard letter. Saving you $16.00 for every hundred cards you send out.

Two hurdles to overcome with direct mail is, where do I get the postcards and how do I get a mailing list? For the postcards, I like to use www.Vistaprint.com though there are other services out there. I?ve used Vistaprint because occasional they run specials where you can get a hundred free postcards and all you pay for is the shipping costs, which can be as low as $6.50 per hundred. They produce a nice looking postcard and have ready use templates for the beginner. I suggest getting on their mailing list and watch for their specials.

The mailing list is a bit more tricky. There are several services out there promoting mailing lists, but the lists can become expensive. I like using www.Salesgenie.com and currently they are running a great special. I haven?t tried it since I already have my own mailing lists, but I just saw this promotion and it looks like it can save you hundreds of dollars. Here is the promotion:

?Each of the first 1,000 small businesses that register during National Small Business Week will receive 1,000 free sales leads in addition to a 30-day free trial to Salesgenie.com ? no purchase or credit card required.

Businesses can register for the giveaway by calling 866.286.2529 or going to www.salesgenie.com from May 20, 2012 until May 26, 2012 at 11:59 pm Central Time. Current Salesgenie subscription clients and businesses with 500 employees or more are not eligible for the giveaway.?

As you can see time is limited and this promotion ends Saturday, but if you act quickly you might gain a list of 1,000 potential customers. One nice aspect of Salesgenie is it allows you to add criteria?s in creating your mailing list, such as location, number of employees and a contact name at the business. I like to choose businesses that have more than 100 employees and ask for the HR contact person. If you send it to the President or VP, a secretary most likely will intercept and dispose of it, whereas the HR person is possibly the decision maker for training or will forward it to the decision maker.

Direct mail has a very low return rate. You can anticipate a possible return of 3% or less. But if it costs you $25.00 for the postcards and $29.00 for stamps, you spent $54.00 to mail out 100 postcards. If you only gain 1 new business client from this mailing and you charge $500.00 (or more) to train their staff, you are coming out several hundred dollars ahead of the game. The ROI is pretty high using the method.

My wife?s past experience has shown getting several responses off a single mailing bring in several new clients wanting training for 20, 30 or 40 people on their staff. We?ve also sent out mailings and received not even one response. So what I?m saying is it?s a marketing method you must do on a regular basis. The success rate will vary. My wife sends out several hundred postcards each month and at the end of a year this marketing method produces much more business than it costs to create.

Good luck.

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