Reach more prospective clients and customers by sending promotional materials through the mail.
Attracting new clients and customers requires you to continually market your goods and services. Online advertising, television and radio ads, word-of-mouth marketing and promotional mail-outs all help to promote your business and hopefully increase profits. Sending marketing materials by mail offers specific benefits; it allows you to target specific businesses and individuals and, unlike other forms of marketing, you know exactly to whom you are marketing your services.
Instructions
1. Create promotional materials such as a marketing flyer, postcard, brochure or sales letter to send to prospective clients and customers. Marketing materials should include a description of the types of goods and services you offer, benefits of using these goods and services, contact information including phone numbers, business and website addresses and special offers such as free consultations or membership discounts to attract business.
2. Build a mailing list of prospective clients and customers. Research businesses in your area that have a need for the types of goods and services your business provides. Search for company names, addresses and department contacts in online and print business directories, company websites or contact companies directly to ask for this information.
3. Rent mailing lists from reputable direct mail marketing companies that include the names and addresses of businesses and individuals that fit your target demographic. Visit the Better Business Bureau website to make sure the company is legitimate and does not have any complaints filed against it. Visit direct mail marketing company websites to learn more about how they compile a mailing list or contact the customer service departments of these companies for more information. Ask how frequently their lists are updated to ensure you receive a current list of businesses or individuals.
4. Hire a local printer or reputable online printing company to print promotional materials. Ask for a list of business references from a local printer to verify the quality of their work. Contact their customer service departments if you have specific questions about your printing needs. You can also visit the Better Business Bureau website to see if any complaints have been filed against these businesses by past customers. Ask for a proof of the materials to approve before printing the whole order. Carefully inspect the proof for any errors before having it printed.
5. Send out promotional marketing materials to those on your mailing lists. Purchase a postage meter (found in most home office supply stores and online) or first-class stamps to mail marketing pieces from home. Weigh a piece and affix the proper postage to each item either with the postage meter or with stamps. Use this method if you have less than a few hundred pieces. If you are mailing a higher volume, contact the US Postal Service to apply for a pre-cancelled stamp permit which allows you to buy postage stamps in bulk. With this permit, you can also purchase a permit imprint which you can use instead of stamps to show that you have already paid for postage. Drop off marketing pieces at your local post office or public mail box.
6. Track your marketing campaign using a spreadsheet or journal. Record the number of people that respond to the mailing and how they responded (by phone, response card or through your website). This information can tell you how the overall success of the marketing campaign and if you need to make any changes to your target markets.
Tags: clients customers, goods services, businesses individuals, mail marketing, promotional materials, prospective clients