“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
– Mark Twain
Mark Twain was addressing his critics who were spreading rumors that he had passed away. In fact, Twain was very much alive and his popularity with readers was peaking.
Twain also could have been talking about direct mail marketing, that tried-and-true form of advertising that’s been around for over 100 years and still going strong.
The fact is direct mail is hardly dead. It is still being used aggressively and regularly by all kinds of savvy marketers. It’s a critical part of their overall marketing mix, especially when it comes to prospecting for new customers.
It’s been called many things, including junk mail. But in reality the new junk mail is actually all the messages you receive in your digital mailbox every day.
How many emails do you delete without even bothering to open? Maybe half of them, probably a whole lot more. It’s not unusual for someone to delete as much as 90% of emails received without ever opening them. The average person now receives 20, 30 or more emails each day soliciting everything from weight loss to travel deals, from miracle drugs to the latest ramblings of so-called experts.
Yes, email marketing is an extremely effective medium for communicating and selling customers. And it is certainly more convenient and much less expensive when compared to direct mail.
However, if you’re looking for new customers, direct mail wins hands down. On the back-end, direct mail is cheaper when figuring out the cost-per-sale.
When it comes to crafting a multimedia campaign, your best bet is to use a combination of different messaging platforms which could include email, direct mail, free standing inserts, print ads and more.
Let’s take a look at how the old way of doing things (direct mail) stacks up favorably when compared to the relatively new kid on the block (email):
Ten advantages of direct mail versus email marketing
Can direct mail and email team up to bolster a marketing campaign?
It’s been proven time and again that direct mail improves email response rates. Here’s a way to combine the power of these two mediums to optimize impact. About 7-10 days before a scheduled email blast, send all recipients a postcard talking about an upcoming special email offer that will soon be arriving in their in box.
This approach has been known to boost open and click-through rates. The email recipient is much more likely to keep an eye open for the soon-to-arrive email and much more likely to open and read the email, increasing the possibility for a sale.
To find out more about direct mail, email and effective marketing in general come to the GKIC SuperConference in Minneapolis April 30 through May 2. Hundreds of small business owners will be there, along with a terrific group of guest speakers featuring magician Penn Jillette as the grand host.
Click here now to make reservations to attend the 2015 GKIC SuperConference.
Source: Dan Kennedy
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