Friday 1 February 2008

Should you be sending out direct mailshots?

Direct mail is a great way of generating awareness and response, although it is a relatively expensive way of getting your message across. The more important point, however, is: will it deliver the goods? The answer to this question is “Yes”, as long as you have the component parts working in harmony.

The best list
Clear thinking on segmentation makes it easier to create your mailing list. The best list will always be your own list, grown and nurtured over time. However, if you need to start afresh, then you may need to talk to a list broker. Their job is to source the right contact names, with the right details and deliver them to you in the right format. As well as list broking companies, there is an increasing number of on-line list brokers.

The psychology of repetition
In order to get your message into long term memory, it must be repeated seven times. However, direct mail (and most other forms of marketing) only 'gets through' a third of the time. Therefore, we must try 21 times (i.e. 3 x 7), in order to get our message across.

Consider those companies which mail you on a regular basis. If they continue to do it – it must work for them, mustn't it? The chances are that you have bought from them in the past. This means that you are likely to buy from them once again, at some point in the future. The point is that they don't send a few mailers and then give up. They are investing for the long term.

Click here to read a longer article on direct mail.

All the best with your marketing!

Nigel
www.nigeltemple.com
nigel@nigeltemple.com
01628 773128

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