Direct Mail Idea 4 - Phone Number Directory

One of the secrets of direct mail is to connect with the recipient on a personal level. This can be achieved in a number of ways, but here is a simple direct mail idea that will make a lot of impact. Why?

1. It is unselfish and shows you are thinking about the recipient.
2. Said another way; it is about them not you.
3. It will be kept by the recipient for a long time as they complete it and the numbers are important to them.

It is inexpensive as it can be printed in one or two colors on the back.The front of the card is just for this example and could be much simpler. I picked a seasonal look, but it could be generic photos relevant to your business.

When you are designing direct mail pieces keep in mind you do not have to shout out your name and contact information. In this example they will recognize it is from you and if they need to call you they can easily locate your phone number and website.

(Front) (Back)

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Direct Mail Idea 3 - Sports Schedule

What kind of marketing tool am I?

1. I last 8 months.
2. I am looked at at least 80 times in the 8 months.
3. Men love me.
4. I am always lying around where people are.

No it is not a Pamela Anderson 8 month calendar. It is a hockey team TV schedule. (Click on the thumbnails for a larger image)

It does not matter which sport you pick, the marketing benefits remain the same. People appreciate receiving things that are handy, informative, easy to read and useful so sending a branded calendar with a sports schedule is the perfect answer.

While this concept is not new, making it a TV schedule adds a new dimension. If your TV channels and broadcast rights are like the Vancouver Canucks you never know which station your team will be broadcast on. This handy card has the opponent, time of game and TV station.

In this case the Realtors have their branding on both sides and their slogan is reinforced each time someone refers to the card. It is a form of institutional advertising as it does not have a call to action, but simply reinforces the brand.

The card is mailed to thousands of homes in their marketing area and after a couple of years people look forward to it.

What does it cost?

Generally the design and layout is between $ 150 - $ 250 and the printing cost is $ 0.20 to $ 0.30 per postcard depending on quantity.

How do I distribute it?

It can be sent through admail, in an envelope addressed to your clients and prospects, as an insert in your local paper, through a flyer delivery service, left on the counter of local businesses or given away at local events. The most important thing is to get it into the hands of your clients and prospects.

How do you do this?

Researching the schedule is as easy as going to your local team’s website. I recommend a 4″ x 9″ postcard with full color on both sides. If the schedule is for a shorter season such as football, you can use the other side to publish a list of channels and their affiliates.

Or give me a call at 800-568-8338 or email me at marketinguy@shaw.ca and let me know which team you are interested in and I will send you a quote.

Direct Mail Idea 2 - Restaurant Guide

If your prospects and sphere of influence are located in the same general area of your city why not send them a postcard with a list of local restaurants that they will value for years?

This is an example of a generic 4″x9″ card I have developed for clients. It is designed for specific area of Vancouver called Yaletown which is self-contained so I was able to list the restaurants on only one side.

There is an area on the front and back for the
sponsor such as a Realtor to advertise their
name, phone number, web site etc.
Realtors can also add their photo, slogan
and company logo.
Each restaurant is listed with their name,
address and phone number.

 

(Click on card to enlarge image)

Some areas with more restaurants will require both
the back and front of the postcard like this example.

Clients have the choice of
colors, but to be cost effective
they have to stick with the
basic design.

 

So how do you start?

Most cities will have a web site that publishes lists of restaurants or you can use the local yellow pages. In Vancouver I used a combination of a web site called Dine Here and the local Superpages for my research. I then cut and pasted the information into a spreadsheet so I could organize the names. I also checked any phone numbers and added a couple that I knew had just opened up.

What about the layout?
If you are competent at using layout software such as Microsoft Publisher or an of the Adobe products then you can lay this out yourself. Otherwise you may need the services of a local printer and/or graphic designer.

Alternatively, even though it is in Canadian dollars and features Vancouver, check out our Restaurant Guide Fee Schedule as we can do the research and layout here and either send it to your printer or have them printed locally and shipped.

How are they distributed?
Depending on the client they can either be mailed as part of an unaddressed mail walk in a “farm area” or mailed in an envelope with a cover letter to your sphere of influence.

Do they work?
Ask yourself if you would keep a local Restaurant Guide? Would you tuck it into the drawer in the kitchen or put it up on the refrigerator? Would it make you think of the sender every time you looked at it? Would it keep them closer to the top of your mind when you are thinking of using their service or product?

This piece is perfect for “refrigerator marketing” as it is kept on the fridge for a lot longer than a sale flyer or Just Listed postcard.

Direct Mail Idea For Summer

Golf season is in full swing (no pun intended) and there are probably lots of recreational golfers in your farm area or among your sphere of influence that would like a handy reference guide. I created this one for a Realtor by the name of Michael Schelhaas for distribution through the local Streetcards network.

I researched the local golf courses including par 3’s where families like to go and put all of the information on a handy postcard.

The image on the front was a low resolution image I received as a joke by email (so if you are the creator of this image please let me know so I can give you credit). The image and tag line made people smile, but there are lots of other images such as the ones following that you can use on the front of the postcard.

Realtor Postcard Marketing Ideas

It’s no secret that I believe the only postcard worth sending out must accomplish 4 things:

1. It grab the reader’s attention
2. It gets them talking
3. It makes them laugh
4. It gets saved on the refrigerator for weeks

To do this you have to find the right picture for the right headline and that is not always easy.

Here are few samples of postcards that I have created in the past. All of the postcards are in their concept stage only and are not the actual finished product I would provide a client. Many thanks to Inmagine, a stock photography company for the images. (My apologies to any other postcard designer that has used the same headline, but there are only so many good ones out there.)

Call me if you are interested in developing a series like these. Go to About Me for contact info.

Click on the thumbnail for a larger version.

Okay I admit that they aren’t all funny, but do you think they get read?

Postcard Marketing

I do work for a client named Streetcards that has a network of postcard racks throughout Vancouver. Advertisers pay a fee for placement of their postcard throughout the network. These racks are in coffee shops and a variety of venues that people frequent. These are few samples:

The challenge was to create a series of postcards that would be so effective that they would draw people to the rack and by virtue of them picking up the postcard they would be proving to themselves that this is an excellent marketing vehicle.

Whenever you need to get people’s attention a picture is worth a thousand words. I developed a series of eye-catching postcards with images sourced from my favourite photo site call Stock.xchng.
Here a few samples of what I came up with. The caption on the back is below each postcard:

Made You Look!
Just like thousands of other people do each week when they see a postcard in the Streetcards advertising network.
Call me for information on how we can make people look at your advertising too…and make you this happy.

Looking for a Sizzling Marketing Tool!

Just like thousands of other people do each week when they see a postcard in the Streetcards advertising network.
Call me for information on how we can make people your advertising sizzle too.

That’s one way of advertising your business or event.

But to reach thousands of people each week you need a postcard in the Streetcards advertising network.
Call me for information on how we can make people your message reach thousands.

Having trouble in the maze of advertising?

Let us show you the path to reach thousands of people each week through the Streetcards advertising network.
Call me for information on how we can make people your message reach thousands.

Having trouble making your advertising stand out?

Let us show you how we can iron the wrinkles out of your marketing and reach thousands of people each week through the Streetcards advertising network.

Call me for information on how we can make people your message stand out.

Do you have questions about making your advertising stand out?

Let us show you how we can answer the question on how to reach thousands of people each week through the Streetcards advertising network.

Advertising should end with a !.

…you need to send an advertising message everybody can read!

Let us show you how you can reach thousands of people each week through the Streetcards advertising network.

Save the bulletin board for shopping lists.

That’s one way to communicate your message!

But the best way to reach thousands of people each week is advertising through the Streetcards advertising network.

A more effective way to communicate.

Like Smarties there are many different ways to reach your customers.

Let us show you how you can reach thousands of people each week through the Streetcards advertising network.

Call me for information on how we can make people your message reach thousands.

So do you think you would stop and pick up one of these cards? Almost every one of these cards flew off the rack and got into the hands of potential advertisers.

Farming With Postcards

The most important form of marketing for any business is communication with their sphere of influence; clients, customers, friends, associates etc. It is a lot easier to get someone to buy from you or use your service a second time if they already know you. It is also more likely to get a referral from people who already know you than from a complete stranger. I don’t know the exact figure, but I would bet that almost without exception more than 80% of your business comes from repeat business and referrals.

I work with many types of businesses and most use postcards either as addressed direct mail or as what is refferred to as “unaddressed admail” in their marketing. The majority of Realtors will tell you that 80% or more of their business comes from repeat clients and referrals, but for them “farming” an area or building brings new clients that are vital to growing their business.

A lot of work goes into creating an effective postcard for farming. When clients want to cover an area of 2,000 homes there is a lot of competition to differentiate themselves from. Careful thought has to go into what you are sending. To make it easier to budget for direct mail I have developed an inclusive price list for clients that takes the guessing out of the cost.

One measure of success of a good direct mail campaign is the length of time your marketing piece sticks around. (see my article on refrigerator marketing) When you are sending 6 - 12 pieces of mail in a year there should be a cumulative effect on the reader. Over time you are building credibility and trust ad in the case of a Realtor you want them to consider you an expert in the area they live in.

There is a Realtor in Vancouver by the name of Ian Watts who has farmed a building for the past year. His web site for the building Electric Building is dedicated to everything the tenants and buyers need to know. Here is what Ian has to say about farming:

“Taking Farming to a New Level. As farming is as old as real estate itself, finding new ways to stand out and become the authority in a neighborhood is becoming more and more difficult. I started farming a building called Electric Avenue in Downtown Vancouver 2 years ago and because of the frequency of flyers sent to the 456 unit complex I developed a bit of a reputation as the local expert. People would call every so often to list their homes or ask for a current market price. Furthermore people would also contact me regarding finding a parking rental or even to rent out their units etc and this is where the community site / uberFarm was born. I contacted Ubertor for assistance with the new concept and 2 years later our site is the authority on this building. The key aspects of the site includes current listing, a rental notice board and floor plans. In 2006 we had 11 ends in the ElectricAvenue building and we’re on pace to match that number in 2007. Eleven ends at approximately $5500 per end, we grossed over $60,000 for this single website. Not a bad return on a $900 annual website hosting fee, plus the nominal costs of our just sold flyers.”

If you need any further proof feel free to call me at 604-618-5512 or 800-568-8338.