Personalised direct mail letters

Direct mail letters are a value-for-money advertising method for small and medium-sized businesses. Unlike expensive TV, newspaper or radio advertisements, they can be targeted at your existing customers, and hence, you typically get a much better response for your investment.

On this page:

• What are direct mail letters?
• Advantages of direct mail letters
• Six rules for writing great direct mail letters

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What are direct mail letters?

When people think of direct mail letters, the words 'junk mail' often spring to mind. Some might think of those 'To the Householder’ letters that are destined for the bin – who wants to hear from someone who does not care enough to find out your name?
However, direct mail letters can also be letters you send directly to your customers, after gaining their permission to contact them this way. You might use a letter to announce that you are stocking a new product or offering a new or upgraded service, to invite customers to an in-store event, to announce a sale, or even to make contact with a customer you haven’t heard from for a while, in an effort to win them back by offering a discount or two-for-one deal.

You could also include your latest product or service catalogue and price list with a letter, a small sample of a new product, or a coupon for a special offer. Using coupons in this way allows you to see how many customers then act on your offer.

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Advantages of direct mail letters

• They can be sent directly to the person who is most likely to need your service. There is no wastage communicating your message to people who are simply not interested in what you are offering.
• They are personal and speak directly to each recipient individually.
• Targeted direct mail letters that are well written and thoughtfully presented will not be viewed as spam.
• They can be dealt with by the receiver in their own time.
• They are cost effective and can be kept as a template and used again if you run a similar promotion. Once written, the only costs are the printing (e.g., 4c per black and white page at current in-house printing prices), stamps, envelopes and the cost of the paper.
• They are increasingly attention grabbing as postal mail becomes less common. Enhance this by using unusually shaped envelopes or an eye-catching stamp, or by addressing the envelopes by hand.

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Six rules for writing great direct mail letters

These six rules are so simple that once you know them, you'll wonder why you didn’t come up with them yourself. However, it is estimated that at least 95% of business owners in New Zealand don’t follow them. Stick to them every time you write to your customers and potential customers – and enjoy the results!

Rule 1: Get the customer's attention

If you don’t get their attention straight away, they won’t read the letter or think about your offer, and the letter will be heading straight to the bin. You have 5 seconds to make the customer decide to read your letter.

Rule 2: Show the need behind your product

Think about your products or services from your customers’ perspectives. Why do they buy from you? Is it for pride, safety, to save money, to save time, be happier, be healthier? What are the benefits they are buying?

Express this as your customer would express it when talking about it to their friends or colleagues. One view of marketing is that people buy to either gain pleasure or avoid pain. Which is true for your market, and can you use this to highlight the need for your product?

If communicated well, this part of your letter shows that you understand the situation your customer is in, and builds rapport.

Rule 3: Respond to that need with your product or service

Explain concisely how your product or service meets your customers’ needs and the benefits of using your business to obtain the product or service. Clearly demonstrate what makes you better than the other options your customer has, and build credibility around your service or product by showing your expertise and using testimonials if possible. This develops trust and helps the customer decide that they need to find out more.

Rule 4: Persuade the customer to buy NOW!

Your offer needs to encourage the customer to purchase your product or service. So, you need a 'call to action'. Give customers specific and attractive reasons to act now, such as by highlighting when the special offer will cease, or that stocks are limited. It is crucial that you create urgency.

Rule 5: Ask for the order

If you have created a good letter and the customer has decided to buy, now it has to be as quick and hassle free as possible. If you don’t have a store or premises that customers can visit, options include a reply paid envelope and order form, an 0800 telephone number, ordering online from your business’s website, or ordering via email. You could possibly even guarantee your delivery time – but tread carefully here, as stocks can run out, manufacturing equipment can break down, and other unforeseen events might cause a delay in delivery.

Rule 6: The power of the PS

Often, one of the first things people read in a letter is the PS. After people have seen who a letter is for, who it is from, and perhaps the first sentence to get a feel for what it is about, they will drop down to the PS. Despite its diminutive size, it is a weighty and valuable piece of real estate on the page. Use it with impact – repeat the call to action or the key benefits.

• This information is provided by My Marketing Expert:
  
  http://www.mymarketingexpert.co.nz/site/my_marketing_expert/