The Essentials to Good Direct Mail Response
No-one is surprised that marketing budgets have shrunk over the last few years due to the global financial upheaval. It is now more important than ever to use research to identify key targets then employ the most effective marketing tools to reach them. Smaller budgets have driven many to email broadcasting where they may have used postal campaigns in the past. Poor response to email broadcasting has, however, left some disillusioned in the process. Email marketing has its place, and there’s no denying it’s a cheaper option, but in many cases it is most effective in a supporting role to postal and telemarketing campaigns than a ‘stand-alone- replacement.
As a full service mailing house and list provider, over the past three or four years, we have seen clients shift their budget to e-broadcasting then back to postal and telemarketing due to lack of response.
The cost of postage, and in particular stamps, has risen dramatically over the last two years and this too has led to moans and groans about the cost of using direct mail yet many companies are unaware that bulk mailing rates are still very low. Where a 2nd class stamp now costs 50p, using a mailing house ‘downstream access’ Mailsort account it can be as low as 19p. We will find you the cheapest rate for your campaign.
Every day the average consumer is bombarded with as many as 3,000 marketing messages in the form of posters, press ads, emails, direct mail, packaging, TV/Radio commercials and in general we manage to tune out most of this to maintain our sanity. Direct Mail, perhaps more than any other medium, requires attention-grabbing creative in order to stand out from the crowd and make an instant impact. Research tells us we decide within just 5 seconds whether a DM piece is either of interest or destined for the waste bin.
Timing is essential too as mail landing on desks on a Monday or Friday is less likely to be given as much time as mid-week mail, so again, we can help you plan ahead and for example post out 2nd class mail on a Monday so it lands mid-week.
05 Direct Mail was established in 2006 and set-up to provide lists and databases for marketing supported by full-service mailing house facilities. We are a family-run business based in Stockport but different to most of our mailing house competitors. Being a little smaller than other mailing houses, we are able to give a more personal service and lower rates. We have a range of low-cost mailing options including fulfilment, personalised printing, envelope printing and supply, clear film wrapping for journals and catalogues plus all the cheaper postage rates mentioned above. We have no minimum charge on mailing services or list rental and we don’t cut corners.
05 Direct Mail is run by Peter Mallender who, with a background of 40 years in the Advertising, Print & Direct Mail industries, is always ready to offer sound advice and support.
‘Our intention from the start has been to provide a reliable, low-cost direct mail service using the best options available to help our clients achieve maximum response through attention to detail whilst working to a tight budget. One client has said we are more like an extension to their team rather than a supplier and that more than anything else tells us we are getting it right’
Peter Mallender (Managing Director 05 Direct Mail)