Gaining and maintaining consistent revenue challenges all business owners, big and small. While digital media has garnered the most attention in recent years, more traditional print mediums can reach out, cut through the electronic noise and attract new and already satisfied customers in a different way.

The cost of print marketing efforts scares off many; however, the benefits of targeted, print pieces often outweigh the cost in the end. There are many things to consider before embarking on a print campaign.

The first is target audience and size of the mailing. For example, a larger mailing (10,000 postcards versus 200 postcards), the per-piece investment is smaller - $0.50/card versus a $1.50/card plus postage.

While the larger mailing list may seem appealing because of the lower per-piece cost, consider the return first. Your company spends around $5,000 (plus cost of postage) for a mailing of 10,000 but only gets a .2 percent response rate which may have little impact on your sales; is it really worth it?

On the other hand, try a micro-marketing campaign in which you send to a smaller, more focused list of individuals, 200 people, and spend $300 (plus postage). Depending on your message and market research, the return-on-investment is likely to prove higher. Because your company has specifically targeted those who are more likely to want and need your product versus the masses, your money is better spent. With a more targeted and direct approach you now have ample opportunity to create a drip campaign and “touch” your prospects multiple times.

Direct mail campaigns keep you in contact with your customers, to let them know that you appreciate them. You also stand out from the crowd, because this technique is not used by many marketers. Target Marketing Magazine list e-mail marketing as the front-runner in marketing campaigns.

While e-mail is a strong source for return-on-investment, a company can stand out more by going above and beyond with the less typical printed postcard and/or using it in tandem with the electronic medium; thereby creating increased touch points. Furthermore, while a recipient can easily delete or opt-out of your e-mail, direct mail can play to all of their senses and are harder to ignore, especially when using repeat mailings.

According to the Encyclopedia of Business, “Direct mail is also an effective medium in business-to-business marketing. Since business orders are usually larger than consumer purchases, it often takes more than one mailing to make a sale.”

To have the best success with direct mail campaigns, you have to build a relationship. Doing so, goes a long way in the business world. By opening up, you are showing the customers that you care about them and their needs and that they can trust you. It is difficult, if not impossible, to build a relationship from one direct mail postcard or one single email. That is why it is crucial to have a follow-up system in place to continually “touch” your customers and prospects. On average it takes seven or more “touches” before they will do business with you. These touches could include a combination of email, direct mail and voicemail follow-up.

Going the extra mile, integrating direct mail campaigns differentiates you from the run-of-the-mill marketers. It makes it very obvious that you are providing quality service to your customers. It also shows them that they are of utmost importance to you.

Throughout the process of following-up with your customers, it is vital that you make your design consistent with your business image, to establish and increase the recognition and response rate. Color postcards (vs. black and white or one color), including photos, will also increase your response rate. NOTE: While using postcard templates provided by many direct mail vendors seems like an easy fix, be sure you alter the template enough to make it your own and not just a re-hash of the template with your logo hastily pasted in. Customization is key to success.

Direct mail is a great way to keep customers informed of upcoming deals and new products, while providing quality customer service at the same time. Return customers are to be valued, so it is vital that you let them know they are valued. You can do this by sending your customers special offers for upcoming products, and providing them with discount pricing for being a premium customer.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to postcards and direct mailing such as target audience, voice, tone and messaging. To see how direct mailing can boost your company and generate sales, call Buckaroo at 317.845.0830 or email Deborah Daily at dldaily@gobuckaroo.com.