Show sellers samples of your marketing portfolio elements (flyers, brochures, postcards, etc) so they can really see the quality of your work in action. Explaining what you are going to do is one thing, having them touch, feel, and see it is another. Then, prepare a written report (for your seller) every 4-6 weeks to fully inform them of all the marketing/advertising you are doing on their behalf. Make sure to show them actual examples of your work.

The post Quick Tip Tuesday: May 21 – Real Estate Marketing Portfolio appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

* Summer Themed Mailers. Summer officially begins on June 21st this year, but a great many people are focused on summer much earlier than the 21st. Why not put together a fun summer themed mailing? Bathing suits, the sun, smiles and fun. This is always great, but even works better if you offer something that you can work into the summer spirit. If you sell pizza, consider suggesting a pizza pool party. If you own an auto parts store, think convertibles with their tops down. The postcard displayed in this post designed by Thomas Cochill is an excellent example of how to incorporate summer into a direct mail postcard design and create a sense of urgency with its recipients.

* Father’s Day Discount. We all know how important Mother’s Day is for marketing campaigns, and Father’s Day can also be used to make an impact. If your business specializes in male-oriented products or services, you could send a postcard with a promotional code to dads so they can by themselves a discounted product or service they’ve had on their list. For example, a hair salon could promote a special haircut discount for dads in the month of June.

* Be Your Customer’s Best Friend. Did you know June 8th is Best Friends Day? It’s a holiday that offers a fun opportunity to remind your mailing list your company is their best friend with their best interests at heart when it comes to providing them with whatever service or product you sell. You could tie social media into your direct mail postcard, suggesting that recipients become your company’s “BFF” on your Facebook page. Getting a laugh or a smile is a great way to grab your postcard recipient’s attention.

* Show Company Patriotism. The end of June is the perfect time to send out your Fourth of July themed mailing to those in your customer and prospect databases. There’s lots of room for special promotions (a firecracker of a deal on the Fourth of July weekend, perhaps?) and to make the most of American flags and patriotic enthusiasm. It’s a fun holiday nearly everyone loves and gives you an opportunity to join in and show your company’s love for our country. If relevant, mentioning your business’s support for the troops overseas is a great idea and offers you additional room for themed promotions. Keep in mind that most families have at least one member in the military and would appreciate this type of gesture.

* June Countdown Campaign. If you are planning multiple mailings in June, you could do either a countdown to Summer or to the Fourth of July. Each postcard mailing could offer a different coupon, discount, or tip. This can build a great deal of anticipation and interest, plus consistent brand exposure is key in any marketing effort, and especially in direct mail marketing.

We hope this helps give you some great excuses to mail postcards in June. Success in direct mail postcard marketing is all about creativity and consistent effort. Make June a winning month!

The post Excuses to Send Direct Mail Postcards in June appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

“Top agents keep direct mail advertising in perspective. Although look and message are important, there is a much stronger correlation between sales and listing leads generated and the frequency of their direct mailers than between sales/listings and their creative messaging.”

The post Quick Tip Tuesday: May 14 – Real Estate Marketing appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

“78% of households either read or scan advertising mail sent to their household.” ~ 2011 USPS Household Diary Study

According to this study, “whether they wish to receive more or not, most households either read or at least scan their advertising mail. Figure 5.3 shows 53 percent of households usually read their advertising mail, while an additional 25 percent scan their mail. Only 21 percent of households report they do not usually read their advertising mail. This represents an increase from the nine percent who did not usually read advertising mail in 1987. Given the large increase in advertising mail volumes since then, it is clear that U.S. households read more advertising mail now than in the past.”

While you’re here, please take a second to help us better understand what kinds of advice and tips you’d like to see by voting in our poll (right-hand column)!

The post Quick Tip Tuesday: May 7 – USPS Direct Mail Statistics appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

Whatever marketing channels your small business employs, it’s important to ensure consistency both off and online. This helps make sure that your customers and prospects understand your company message and recognize both what your small business does and and what it stands for. Combining your postcard marketing efforts with your online efforts can also yield an even greater return on investment.

The post Quick Tip Tuesday: April 30 – Marketing Integration appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

Need some excuses to mail in May? Take a look at some of these ideas and maybe they will offer some inspiration.

* The Roofer Who Sent Roof Tiles. A great way to stand out is to either include a small piece of what you are offering with your mailing or to make the image of your postcard mailer an attention-grabbing spin on what you do. A classic example is the roofer who sent a roofing tile to his list with a short note and reminder it’s time to get the roof checked. Making the entire front side of your postcard an image of a roofing tile would work as well. No matter what it is your small business offers, there’s likely a version of this that will work for you.

* A May Coupon. Let’s not forget May 1st is May Day – a celebration of spring and of hard work throughout the year. Why not offer a coupon that’s good for the month? A day spa could offer a May discount as a way for people to relax, with a message such as “You work hard. In celebration of May Day, treat yourself to a relaxing massage or facial this month!”

* Cinco de Mayo Postcards. May 5th, the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, offers a great postcard marketing opportunity. It is the perfect time for a restaurant or bar to offer a special themed night, but can also work a multitude of other small businesses. Embrace the imagery of the holiday (think Mexican style hats and musicians) and include a bit of Spanish language in your messaging. It’s a good way to raise your profile in the Spanish speaking market, and also demonstrates a fun, positive spirit to all.

* Season Specific Direct Mail. Landscapers, pool cleaning services, and other companies who offer much needed seasonal services should jump on the chance to mail to their customer and prospect database in May. You definitely want to keep your name in client’s minds and a direct mail postcard with a friendly reminder that it’s time to take care of seasonal household duties is a great way to do so.

* May Flowers for Mom. Studies show that men are notorious for waiting until the absolute last moment to shop for Mother’s Day. If you are a flower shop or other gift-related business, a Mother’s Day reminder can be worth it’s weight in gold. “Don’t wait to the last second for Mom” with a humorous image of a man or woman flustered an in a rush could really resonate with both men and women who have made the mistake in the past.

*National Home Remodeling Month. May is a great time for home remodelers to offer special discounts or promotions in celebration of National Home Remodeling Month. Your direct mail campaign could also be education-based, sharing the benefits of hiring a professional remodeler versus doing it yourself. Here are some other tips from the National Association of Home Builders to help you brainstorm a robust, multi-channel campaign.

Now there’s officially no excuse not to mail in May. Hopefully some of these ideas can be worked into your own campaigns and make May a tremendously successful month for your small business. Good luck!

The post Excuses to Send Direct Mail Postcards in May appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

Using a short testimonial from a past client is an effective way for you to build trust and proof that any claims you make are in fact real.

On your relationship-building journey, including sincere and recent praise of your previous work on your direct mail postcards, flyers, website, and other marketing collateral can both save prospects research time and generate word-of-mouth advertising for your business.

The post Quick Tip Tuesday: April 23 – Customer Testimonials appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

With so much current focus on social media and internet advertising, it is easy to forget about more traditional forms of promotion, such as direct mail. However there are plenty of benefits to taking this approach during this surge of online promotional activities, some of which we will explore here.

Nonprofit direct mail marketing involves sending collateral out through the mail which explains what an organization does, promotes their work, and asks for financial contributions or volunteers. Direct mail is also very often involved when nonprofits need to solicit attendance to a fundraising event or gala. Delivering information in this physical form can have a powerful impact on those who receive it, whether they are people who might become consumers of a charitable service or potential donors.

The majority of the information we absorb these days comes in a digital format, with limited competition in the mailbox. Therefore, calls for contributions or volunteers can really stand out when somebody can hold them in their hands. Brochures and flyers displaying products that a non-profit sells to raise funds, for example, can be flicked through easily, free from distractions such as email alerts popping up in the corner!

And direct mail marketing does not have to just be in the form of letters, flyers and brochures: postcard marketing is a very effective way to grab people’s attention. Sending out direct mail postcards to prospects who may be keen to get involved in your work can be an even more accessible approach, because the information you are providing is not hidden in an envelope. As soon as they pick up their mail, they can see your message. As long as the postcard is attention-grabbing with well-designed graphics and a catchy message, this is a low-cost way to target a specific market and therefore get incredible results.

With limited funds, nonprofits are tasked to get the most out of their marketing dollars. Direct mail marketing should not be overlooked by nonprofits, whatever the goal of the campaign may be. Combined with demographic list targeting capabilities, it provides an easy, cost-effective way to target and reach a qualified donor market and stand apart from the noise online.

The post Direct Mail for Nonprofit Fundraising appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

Block off 2-3 hours every day so that you can focus on lead generation and staying in touch activities (personal notes, postcards, emails and calls). Putting it on your calendar is easy, implementing it as a daily ritual is the hard part. Protect your lead generation focus time.

The post Quick Tip Tuesday: April 16 – Lead Generation appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.

Because day care centers are childcare facilities, parents need to truly believe that the center and the staff can be trusted with their precious children. The ability to build a personal relationship with the staff members at the center is a vital part of this trust, and so personalizing the marketing approach can be particularly effective. Using direct mail, each postcard promoting the day care center can be individualized to a particular family. Not only can the card include their name and address, it can even include a personalized map showing the route from their home to the center in question. This is a useful way to break down the barriers that parents may hold, because it shows the center to be thoughtful, adaptable, and helpful.

Because day care centers exist in specific neighborhood locations, they need the ability to target their marketing to prospective clients who live nearby. Using a combination of direct mail and custom homeowner lists to achieve this kind of demographic targeting will help the center to reduce the costs of their postcard marketing campaign because the cards will only be sent to suitable, pre-identified prospects, rather than as a blanket mailer out to anybody and everybody. The personalization on the cards will impress parents who are concerned that their children are entrusted to the best of facilities, and the individualized maps demonstrate at a glance how easily accessible the center is.

For day care centers, direct mail marketing is a viable and effective strategy for promoting their business, boosting their reputation, and gaining new clients. It is an approach which should be seriously considered when such organizations are looking to increase their client numbers and grow their  residual revenue.

The post How to Use Direct Mail Postcards to Promote a Day Care Facility appeared first on The Direct Marketing Voice.