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Over the years Direct Mail has been and continues to be one of the most cost effective ways of reaching the people you want, when you want.

Main Benefits of Direct Mail

  • Tailored – Can be highly personalised to improve impact and help increase response rates.
  • Highly Targeted – reach only the audience you want to reach, saving money and reducing environmental impact.
  • Less Intrusive – it can be opened at a time to suit the recipient and can be referred to when it is convenient for the recipient to respond.
  • Tangible – can be kept for future reference or can be passed on as a warm lead to someone else.
  • Flexible – can be as detailed or simple as you require.   You are not constrained by space or time unlike other forms of marketing.
  • Time Controlled – often marketing material can be more effective if the delivery time can be controlled. With a full range of delivery speeds this can easily be achieved.
  • Measurable – you can include an easy response method such as application forms and reply paid envelopes.  It is also easy to measure the cost of every response which can help when planning your next campaign.
  • Easily Tested – small test cells can easily be tested prior to committing to full implementation of direct mail campaign.
  • Reliable – Lets you get your message directly into the hands of the audience you want to reach.  Unlike e-mail marketing which can often be blocked by ever sophisticated spam filters.
  • Universal Acceptance – Direct Mail can be received by everyone in society  as no need to pre-own of have experience of technology.
  • Attention Grabbing – whilst reading direct mail, you can be sure you have the reader's undivided attention. 

Examples

Here are just a few examples of what Direct Mail can do for your business.

  • Generate new business;
  • Build relationships and maintain the loyalty of existing customers;
  • Create awareness of new products and services;
  • Promote special offers and events;
  • Provide information on Company's current of future activities.
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Tagged in: Direct Mail Marketing
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One of the best things about using direct mail as part of your marketing strategy is the fact that, unlike many other channels, you can be as creative as you want to be. There are so many options available to you across the design, copy, and composition, that you have a great opportunity to make the most of what direct mail has to offer.

Four ways to think outside of the box with your direct mail campaign:

1. Give something away

Everyone likes a freebie. If you send your direct mail campaign with a little surprise contained inside, your audience is more likely to open it and, by extension, engage with your company in the way that you want them to. This option isn’t just available to companies that actually supply products, service providers can get in on the action too. What’s more, no matter what your design, you can shout about what you are offering on the mailings external packaging as well as in the direct mail piece itself. If you are offering the right freebie, you should see higher levels of response.

Why not make your gift seasonal, for example, a voucher for some suntan lotion or garden products for the summer.

2. Make your point in an unusual way

Who says that you have to be conventional with the way that you present the information in your direct mail campaign? Why not try something different such as printing your message backwards or upside down, not only will people look twice, but curiosity will get the better of them and they will want to find out more. Being a bit different is something most brands can get away with.

3. Offer a discount competition entry

This follows on from the freebie suggestion made earlier. Offering a discount or opportunity to win something will encourage the recipients to respond to the call to action you set – either by entering the competition or taking advantage of the discount being offered. This is great for encouraging a brand switch or trial of the products or services your company offers. If your product or service is as good as you say it is, and why wouldn’t it be, you are bound to pick up some new customers.

4. Send a postcard

Consider a move away from the standard A4/A5 letter in a windowed envelope – why not send a postcard. People always read postcards, the information is right there to see and furthermore, the recipient doesn’t have to open anything to be able to see the information, it’s the height of convenience. You may even get some interest from people who see your mailing when it’s being delivered.

We are bombarded with marketing messages from many different sources on a daily basis. It has never been more important to differentiate yourself, a creative direct mail campaign can really set you apart from your competitors.

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Tagged in: Marketing Postcards
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For the small to medium business, mining local prospects is key to sustaining growth, with direct mail continuing to be the primary method of keeping channels between businesses and local customers open.

Many of you might be thinking, 'But it's too expensive!' Think again. There are a number of cost effective solutions such as AMS's Direct Mail Services that are designed to lower postage and packaging costs; often saving businesses up to 47% on standard tariffs; thus allowing more time to be spent on ensuring higher response rates from their marketing campaigns.

The 40/40/20 Rule

Rules are fantastic because they dictate the way things actually are, thus removing a substantial amount of the guess work. This rule applies to direct marketing specifically, and states that 40% of a campaign's success depends on list selection; 40% on the offer; and 20% on creative execution.

Targeting your audience

Building and developing a mailing list is crucial to an effective campaign, but list buying can be fraught with pitfalls.

Don't be tempted into buying large amounts of untested data. Ask for a small sample to validate the list first, and do some research into the company selling it. Buying from Direct Marketing Association (DMA) members will guarantee that the list adheres to UK and EU marketing laws; and safeguards against the negative implications of using poor quality and illegal data.

The Call-to-Action

Developing your brand and increasing awareness is all well and good, but sending out a mailer without a call to action will be a waste of time. Tell your audience what you want them to do (come into the store with the mailer to receive a 15% discount; book a 30 minute free consultation); will compel them into action and increase the effectiveness of the campaign.

Use your content space – and a great copywriter - to tell your audience what they want to know: Where are the benefits? What are they key selling points that make your company stand out? Do you have any testimonials regarding what other businesses/customers have to say about your business?

Let your mailing house look after your print

By working with a mailing house that also offers print services, you'll be killing many birds with the same stone: Not only will they provide the design, management, and expert finishing to give your campaign the creative execution it needs, but they will also save time and money.

Follow-Up

Plan and implement a follow up message that ties in to your initial call-to-action. This will serve to build brand awareness, and ensure that your business is at the forefront of the target's mind when it's time for them to buy. Think about the menus you get from your local Chinese takeaway...it's usually the same one, but when you're in the mood for a takeaway, they'll immediately spring to mind!

Taking the time to effectively plan your strategy at the beginning of a campaign is well worth the money it saves in the long run. By working closely with industry professionals – from list brokers and copywriters; to designers, printers, and mailing houses – you will see a significant return on your investment.

 

What are your tips for direct marketing success? Share them by posting your comments below.

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The use of direct mail campaigns dwindled substantially as people moved towards digital methods of contact and marketing. But times are changing and there is a renewed opportunity for organisations to take advantage of this marketing medium; many that have are reporting high levels of success.

6 reasons why direct mail is making a comeback:

  1. There is less noise to compete with – As mentioned above, many organisations have made the mistake of jumping ship on the use of direct mail as a viable marketing tool. By running a direct mail campaign now you are doing something unusual.

    People are more desensitised to emails and online adverts than they are to direct mail. When a direct mail piece hits someone’s doormat or desk the recipient is much more likely to read it than they are a promotional email or online banner.

  2. You can be more creative with direct mail campaign designs – A4, A5, full colour, smouldering black and white, glossy finish, matt finish, single sided, double sided, tri-fold... The choices are endless; you have the ultimate opportunity to be creative with your brand and how you represent your products and services.

  3. Postal addresses are easier to find than email addresses – With data protection laws in place blocking marketers and business owners from using personal email addresses, it is now easier to reach the correct people by post. If you buy a mailing list you are much more likely to get the name and postal address of every single contact on the list. Likewise, if you contact a company to find out who the key point of contact is for your product or service, you are likely to get their name but not their email address. Many organisations don’t give them out.

  4. Your first impression is much more than a subject line - If the outer packaging of your direct mail campaign is right, people have opened and read it before they know what they are doing. Promotional emails are often deleted before they are even opened.

  5. The cost of digital marketing is increasing – Many people moved over to digital marketing methods such as email and social media because they were seen as more cost effective. This is now changing. Email platforms such as Constant Contact and Dotmailer and social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook have cottoned on that there is money to be made. They are making it increasingly difficult to market effectively for little or no cost.

  6. The ‘noise’ online is unbearably loud – Flashing images, spam email, personal emails, pop up ads, these are all the things you are competing with when you take your marketing online. Physical post has diminished, people even get their bills by email now so you are competing with a lot less; plus everyone likes to have post to open.

There really is an argument for including direct mail in your business’ marketing plan. Get ahead of the curve and get your business in front of your customers today.

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