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MailWays


A free newsletter offering direct mail marketing tips from
Bi-County Mailing & American Mail Communications

December 2007
Copyright © 2007


888-MAIL-888
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IN THIS ISSUE

  • Writing & Design Tips
  • Marketing in 2008
  • Testimonials Help
  • Press Box
  • Our Favorite Charities
  • How Are We Doing?
  • Hold That Thought

Get FREE publicity for your company/organization.

Send us news about your events, promotions, awards, important changes, achievements, etc. We will post the information on our website through a link in this space. Email your information
in a Word document
to Phyllis Abrams at filisa@optonline.net.

Be sure to put
“Bi-County Press Box”
in the subject field.
Deadline: the 15th of each month. This FREE service is only for clients. Space is limited. We will make every effort to accommodate all submissions. Posting will be at the sole discretion of the publisher.

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Go to www.americanmail.com & www.bicountymailing.com

Click on “Our Favorite Charities”...
It's our way of supporting good people
who do good things.
Every little bit helps.

Please visit their sites.
They could use your support!

How are we doing?

Check out our clients' testimonials on www.americanmail.com
About Us - What Clients Are Saying About Us page. We've included their company logos, as well as links to their websites when possible.

If you're a client, and would like to be listed on our testimonial page with your logo and a link to your website, tell us how we've helped you improve your business, email

greg@americanmail.com

HOLD THAT THOUGHT...

When his wife asked him to change clothes to meet the German Ambassador, Albert Einstein said:

"If they want to see me, here I am. If they want to see my clothes, open my closet and show them my suits."


Direct Mail Letter Writing & Design Tips That Can Increase Response Rates

Direct mail letters and collateral material have one goal: Getting a response from recipients. Here are some solid techniques you can use to improve response:

Letter Writing

  • Focus – Zero in on a key, clear idea. Don’t try to cover too much.
  • Be Relevant – Appeal to your readers’ self-interest and present a parade of benefits and advantages to using your product/service.
  • Be Confident – Convey self-assurance by using phrases like “we know”, rather than “we think”; “it will”, rather than “it appears”; “you will find”, rather than “you might find”.
  • Personalize – Use a one-to-one tone, making it interesting, inviting.
  • Integrate – Incorporate success stories when discussing your firm’s skills and experience.
  • Offer Value – Provide a special bonus that will help the recipient solve a problem or improve business performance.

Graphic Design

  • Keep it Clean –The best layouts are uncluttered, organized and systematic, using a good amount of white space. They easily and logically lead the reader through the piece and support — rather than overwhelm — the text.
  • Feature One Image – A dramatic photo should serve as your main image, conveying your most important point. People shots generate more interest than a photo of your office or your latest technology.
  • Keep it Simple – Use light paper stock with dark ink. Don’t print white on a dark background. It’s too hard to read.
  • Fold Carefully – Make sure your folds don’t cut through your major design elements.
  • Plan Ahead – Make sure the design will fit your envelopes, and check your weight and size specifications with a mailing expert before investing in an expensive print job.

For more marketing tips, click here

 

Year-End Marketing Tips

It’s time to look ahead. Here are some tips to help make your 2008 marketing efforts a success.

  • Know Your Customer – Ask the right questions. What do they need? What do they want to buy? Who are they buying from now?

  • Look at Competitors – How is your company perceived relative to them? Take a long, hard look at what differentiates you from others, and focus on promoting those differences.

  • Build a Coordinated Marketing Campaign – Develop a consistent look and message. Develop a 12-month program; one-shot “campaigns” don’t work. Back up image ads with direct response ads.

  • Cultivate Customers – Mail to your active customers consistently and frequently — at least three times a year.

  • Plan Press Coverage – Create press releases for distribution before your busy season.

  • Get Referrals – Ask established customers for recommendations.

  • Reward Frequent Buyers – Offer special discounts, gifts, etc.

  • Use Voice Mail – Put special offers on your hold message.

  • Improve Phone Etiquette – Answer the phone and return phone calls within one hour.

  • Follow-Up on Leads – It’s estimated that as much as 70% of leads get lost in the shuffle.

For more business tips, click here.

 

True Testimonials Build Credibility

The use of testimonials from satisfied customers and “converted” skeptics is a powerful way to build and strengthen your company’s credibility. Here are some guidelines to using them effectively:

  • Use only true testimonials, not ones written by you or your Aunt Lilly.

  • Include the supporter’s full name, titles, company or address whenever possible to reinforce sincerity. (Make sure to obtain permission to do so.)

  • Use testimonials to support your message, not in place of it.

  • Be specific. (“Company XYZ has helped us cut costs by 10%.” is a stronger endorsement than “Company XYZ is good at what it does.”)

  • Obtain tributes from customers whose problems you solved, and ask them to state the problem and the solution.

  • Either sprinkle them throughout your promotional material or group them together on one page; it doesn’t really matter.

For more direct mail tips click here.

Our mission is to make your use of direct mail correct, efficient, effective and as hassle-free as possible. In every way possible, we will operate as an extension of your company or organization
with your needs and goals as our paramount responsibility.