12 Great Direct Mail Advertising Ideas

Author:Jim Negron

1. It is all about you!
   When you are advertising your services, it is not the time to be modest. Include your photo (you may be surprised how many people recognize you) and a brief resume. Humanize your image by including memberships in community organizations or church groups. If you live in the neighborhood you are targeting, be sure to mention it.
2. Be Flexible
   'Service On Your Schedule: Evenings and Weekends At No Extra Charge!'.
3. Use Full Color Postcards With Lots Of Photos
   A picture is worth a 1000 words or even more! Include Photos of your facilities, examples of your work, your staff, your customers and yourself!
4. Invite Them To Make A Switch
   Use this headline: 'ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR CURRENT PROVIDER?  OUR CUSTOMERS ARE!  READ WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY: ' Written testimonials (a sentence or two) work great.
5. I Guarantee It!
   A personal guarantee says a lot. For example: 'We show up when we say we will, we treat your home like it is our own and we\'ll finish on time and within budget. I own the company, I\'ll be at the job and I guarantee the work'.  That\'s Powerful.
6. Build A Foundation Of New Customers In Your Own Neighborhood
   Why not prospect in the neighborhood where you live. USPS Carrier Route Maps make it easy to target specific neighborhoods. People like to do business with locals. You can even offer a neighborhood discount.
7. Go Fishing For New Customers – Use A Price As The Bait
   We are not suggesting a 'Bait and Switch', an attractive price for a specific service will 'lure' more prospects to respond. Which offer do you think sounds better? A) 'Storm Windows Replaced – Call Now And Save!'  or B) 'Storm Windows Replaced – Most Homes In This Neighborhood Only $195 per Window!' . You can always include a disclaimer such as: 'most homes',  'window size', 'single story homes only', etc. Some will see a price and say, 'that\'s too expensive', but others will remark 'I didn\'t realize it was so reasonable.' Prices pre-qualify prospects before they call. 
8. Promote Your Website With Direct Mail
   Don\'t have one? You should. And it should contain more than just a laundry list of your services. Testimonials, tips, monthly specials etc.  The website should have plenty of good content that can be used to sell new clients and keep the ones you have.
9. Mail More or More Often?
   Better to mail 15000 homes one time or to 5000 homes three times? Direct mail experts emphasize that repetition is an important factor in the overall success of a campaign. Targeting a smaller territory, mailing more often and supplementing your direct mail with additional media can result in a steady stream of prospects, rather than a flash in the pan once or twice a year. 
10. Make A Specific Offer
    While it may be a good idea to include a 'laundry list' of all the services that you offer, don\'t make that the highlight of your ad. That type of ad is better suited for a directory, like the yellow pages. When people go the the yellow pages, or some other directory, they have already decided they need your product or service. Direct marketing presents more of a challenge. We are trying to get the attention of a prospect who is probably not thinking about a home remodeling as he goes to his mail box. Our goal is to get the prospect excited about a project. Offer a home remodeling project that is popular and a great value and then, promote it in a tantalizing way. Remember, all we are trying to do is generate a lead. 
11. Prospects Don\'t Know We Are Here!
    Hard to find location? Include a map on your postcard. In addition put a photo of your storefront so folks will correlate the address with a visual image.
12. Special Offers Don\'t Always Have To Be Discounts
    Try adding value instead of a discount. Price your product competitively and then add more product or service for the same price. For example, a postcard for a carpet cleaner might say '3 Rooms Cleaned for $149 – Plus 1 Chair Cleaned FREE!' This is a 'WIN, WIN OFFER'. He gets his full price for the carpet cleaning and lets the client know that he also offers upholstery cleaning – and after cleaning one chair the rest of the upholstery may look a bit dingy, which could lead to an additional sale.The value added offer doesn\'t always have to be free either. We\'ve all been asked to 'SUPER SIZE' our order at a fast food restaurant. That extra $1.99 for a larger fountain soda and a few extra french fries really adds up.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/12-great-direct-mail-advertising-ideas-2601426.html

Jim Negron is the founder of DynamicDirect.com a Direct Marketing firm located in South Florida. The company has been helping small businesses nationwide, find affordable direct marketing solutions for 22 years. Read our blog at www.PrintLabelAndMail.com