Adams Hudson has posted a provocative list of trends and fails in marketing. His most interesting observation: Postal mail — that is direct mail marketing through the old Post Office (otherwise known as “snail mail” has proven to be surprisingly effective and resilient and may be even more important for architectural, engineering and construction marketers in 2016
Watch for direct mail to come on like a train in 2016, especially for contractors who remember that the mail goes to the actual ?point of sale.?
Use it for Direct Response advertising with limited time or quantity offers. Direct Mail should expend about 21 per cent of your total marketing investment.
Direct mail ?Sequencing? is also popular for advanced marketers, meaning: 1) A Direct Mail letter, 2) A follow-up letter or postcard about a week later that references the first, 3) A phone call between or after the second letter greatly increases response rate. Try it, or we can coach you through it. I think you?ll be amazed.
However, Hudson says you can’t go cheap on direct mail, by joining in card decks and group packs.
(Inverse Mailing Trend: Card deck mailings. I?ve never liked these except for pizza specials and dry cleaners. If you want to be piled in with the cheapest, go right ahead, but your money is far better invested in a stand alone mailing.)
Why is direct mail effective? The key, says Hudson is the chart showing the preferred way people welcome communication — and direct mail comes closely behind email, and outperforms for older individuals who may be more likely to purchase your services. (The chart wast was published by Marketing Sherpa, and is based on 180,000 buyers surveyed in nine months. )
