Direct Mail Still Works for Your Gift Basket Business
May 10th, 2010 at 08:44pm Lorie Obernauer
Many of us believe that email is the only way to communicate with our customer. Pick up any marketing magazine or go online to check your email and you’ll see articles about email marketing, and using social media to promote our products. There’s no doubt that we need to use new technology in our advertising and marketing efforts, but maybe we shouldn’t forget about direct mail so quickly. According to Denny Hatch, a marketing consultant who writes for Target Marketing Magazine, “direct mail is alive and well”. Full Story.
Market research conducted in 2009 indicates that approximately “75% of 18 – 34 year olds have made at least one purchase resulting from direct mail”. Author Hatch postulates that the overwhelming number of emails that we receive, including lots of spam, is actually decreasing the effectiveness of many email campaigns. And, if you ask someone over 62 years old, you’ll probably hear that they too prefer the old days: newspapers, magazines and direct mail!
I did a quick google search on “using direct mail” and found an article in INC. that while written in 2000, still conveys some good advice.
- Make sure you have a “good list”. Double check addresses and try to make sure that your mailings are going to customers who will be attracted to your products and services. “There are many ways to compile a qualified list, as simple as putting it together yourself from all your contacts and prospects. You can also buy lists from a mail house or list broker, your local chamber of commerce, and other professional groups.”
- Craft a good message. Make sure you have a strong offer (10% off is not usually enough incentive to attract new customers). Make sure your presentation matches your message (if you’re selling upscale gift baskets, a plain post card probably won’t send the right message about the quality of your products). Don’t forget to list your hours, contact information, and address.
Read the full article for more suggestions about your next direct mail campaign.
Entry Filed under: Business Tips, Customer Service, Gift Basket Supplies, Marketing, Promotions, Uncategorized
3 Comments Add your own
1. Australian Gifts | May 10th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Our experience has been getting bogged down doing minute graphic design style changes and then having an ever expanding lead time before we get the postcards on the street.
Now, we do short print runs and don’t sweat the small stuff. Just getting the mailout “out there’ is enough and we aim to improve each time. We think near enough is good enough when you are doing a few campaigns a year.
2. Karla | May 19th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Click2Mail makes postal mail as easy as e-mail. Whether you need to mail 100 simple postcards or 10,000 full-color direct marketing brochures, we can help.
Click2Mail.com provides browser-based tools for creating and personalizing mailpieces and for acquiring, building, and managing mailing lists. Our system eliminates the need for printing, sorting, labeling, applying postage and transport to a post office and does it for not much more than the cost of postage alone. In short, mail made easy.
3. PlanetGiftBaskets | May 25th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I find this interesting and something we have not consider in our online business. We are working a lot in the social media advertising. This article is quite interesting.
Thank you
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