Automotive Direct Mail how it works
Direct mail used to be one of the most utilized forms of advertising only a couple of decades ago. However, with the internet becoming so well accepted and so many large companies shifting significant portions of their advertising budgets to it, this type of marketing has seen a decrease in its popularity.
That is of course unfortunate, because when direct mailers are designed properly and delivered to a targeted audience there are very few kinds of advertising that can drive sales or cash flow quicker. The problem most companies face when they consider using this type of advertising is that they do not possess the necessary in-house expertise to do it in a cost effective manner.
When a typical person takes the mail out of their mailbox they normally only quickly glace at each piece that they receive. In order for a direct mailer to be successful, you really have less than one second to grab the reader's attention and get them interested in what you are promoting.
If you are able to peak a person's interest, then you really only have a couple of seconds to get them to read the entire mailer so that they can understand the deal you are offering. If you are able to accomplish the first two steps in the process, the third and final one is to have the reader take an action that produces a sale.
The desired response could be visiting a retail outlet, making a telephone call, looking over a website, or filling out some kind of form. If all of that is starting to sound a little confusing and complex, that is the exact reason so many firms do not make money when they use direct mail as a form of marketing.
In order to effectively utilize this type of marketing it is essential that you work with an expert that has a great deal of experience and knows what works, and what doesn't. Below are a few examples of different types of direct mailers that have proven overtime to be ultra successful if they are planned and executed to perfection.
Pre-Approval Mailers - These types of mailers are usually associated with some kind of financing deal, which could be a mortgage to buy a home, a loan for a new or used car, or a credit card. Other than their most popular uses, they can also be utilized by home improvement companies for additions or specialty items like air-conditioners, as well as for all kinds of other promotional activities that "Assured Acceptance" will get a person to generate a response.
The key to being successful with pre-approved mailers is efficiently targeting your market. Some of the ways to accomplish that is by sending them out to individuals that have a desirable credit score, are close to paying off a loan, or is in a certain income bracket.
When you attempt to target a specific audience you will need to get their names and address from somewhere. Typically this is done by purchasing a list of some kind. Presently, there are many different organizations that sell these types of directories and just like about anything else in life, some are far more useful than others.
Selecting the correct company to purchase your lists from is often the difference between success and failure. This is certainly another area where a highly skilled direct mail specialist can be extremely helpful to a company that does not possess the internal capabilities to perform this function.
Bankruptcy Mailers - Believe this or not, these types of mailers have a very high response rate, which can be up to 2%. After all, if you are able to efficiently target this group these people have nothing to lose and are usually looking for a very quick way out of their present predicament.
Thankfully, our nation's housing crisis is winding down now. But, that does not mean that there are not 100,000's a people that are still in danger of losing their homes if they do not take action to rectify the situation in a timely fashion. If you are in the real estate business or you are a speculator, then not using this form of marketing is causing you to miss out on many fantastic money making opportunities.
Buy Back Mailers - These types of mailers are usually used in the automotive industry and specifically target people whose cars are getting a little old or are close to paying off their loan. Somewhere around 90% of the people that receive these types of mailers open them and look over the offer. That of course means, whenever you are able to get your hands on a great promotion offered by the automobile manufacturer that your firm represents, these types mailers are known to produce fantastic results.
Event Mailers - These types of mailers can be used by any industry to promote a specific function your firm is sponsoring. If you run a retail store that is going to have a special guest put on a live performance or maybe a presentation or class of some kind, using event mailers to spread the word works exceptionally well.
Many large shopping malls use these types of mailers to publicize Christmas or back to school specials. Event mailers are also becoming very popular with regional casinos that use them to announce a big time show they are putting on.
When it comes to events that are specifically trying to make sales and generate income, today there are companies that have highly trained sales personnel that do nothing but travel around the country from event to event. These firms and their employees are absolutely great at what they do and it is not unheard of for them to sell twice as much or more merchandise when compared to a firm's regular sales staff at well attended events.
Postcard Mailers - These types of mailers are very inexpensive and are used primarily to target geographic areas, like specific zip codes. They can be used by virtually any type of business and the postcards come in various sizes. Because they are postcards, most people do take the time to look them over and since they are so cheap, it does not take too much of a response for them to turn out to be a real good money makers.
Service Mailers - Any company that provides a service should be using this type of marketing to increase their cliental. They are especially effective for companies that acquire customers that will regularly use their service. An example of these types of businesses would be pool cleaners, window washers, gardeners, cleaning services, or just about any other business that has customers who pay them month after month.
Many automotive dealers use them to promote things like oil changes, tune-ups, or break jobs. They do this because they know that if they can get a customer into their shop for the small jobs, there is a very strong likelihood that when that person needs a major repair, they will return to their dealership to have it done.
Seasonal Mailers - There are so many different ways to use seasonal mailers, that the list is virtually endless. It really all comes down to what type of business you are in. If you are a tax preparer, then you know that most of your income is generated in the tax season and if you want to significantly increase your revenue, then using these types of mailers should be able to do it for you.
Restaurants or specialty delicatessen that do large volumes catering specific times of the year like Thanksgiving or Christmas should defiantly be using this form of marketing. Businesses like flower shops, party baskets, or candy stores will see a huge jump in their income when Valentine's day rolls around if they use this type of advertising.
If you run a retail store and you regular put on seasonal sales to get rid of old stock or to promote new merchandise, nothing will increase your traffic flow like these mailers.
Direct mail marketing is almost becoming a lost art form. If your firm has completely abandoned it and has turned all of your attention towards the internet because you believe that you can target your potential client's more effectively there, that is simply not true. In fact, Google recently released a report stating that a portion of the companies that pay for advertising with them never even have their ads seen.
Direct mailers have quite a few advantages that few other types of advertising can top. First, they are able to specifically target a demographic group or location. Second, there really is nothing that you can use that will drive revenue and cash flow as quickly or cost effectively as this type of advertising.
If your company would like to start using direct mailers but are really not exactly sure how to proceed, there are a couple of firms out there today that you can hire who are experts when it comes to this form of marketing. Please do yourself a favor if you do decide you want to give direct mailers a try, and consult with a professional before you start your marketing program. http://www.bigtimepromos.com
You need to be a member of DealerELITE.net to add comments!
Join DealerELITE.net