Everything old is new again, including direct mail for weddings. In a world of junk mail filters and canned-spam laws, direct mail is one form of marketing that's very likely to reach your target brides as soon as they opens their mailboxes.
Do you like exclusivity? Think about this: How many pieces of direct mail will be in a bride’s mailbox on the day yours arrives? You could be one of only a few, giving you the opportunity to stand out at a time when she wasn’t expecting to find you. This is a form of "push" marketing I've spoken about on my webinars.
So how do you stand out? Here are some direct mail quick tips to get you started:
Send your first mailing as soon as possible after you get a new list . The Knot’s lists contain new members who signed up last month, so reach out to them quickly. Don’t have the time? Hire a teenager or other part-timer to do the mailings for you.
Send multiple mailings timed to her wedding date . Timing is everything, but since you don't know when she's looking for your service increase your chances with multiple mailings.
Send to everyone on the list . Don’t decide for her when the time is right or if you’re the right wedding pro. If you don’t mail to her then you have no shot at getting her business. Think about the addresses you may not mail to. How many of those would need to book you, in a year, to justify the additional investment in postage and pieces? Probably only one or two.
Use beautiful, oversized color postcards. An envelope is a barrier between the bride and your message, delaying her from seeing who you are and what you offer. With a postcard, you won’t have to stuff envelopes and your message will be immediately available.
Think of postcards as having two fronts and no backs . Use both sides to highlight the three basic building blocks of marketing:
1) Who are you? (your branding, your company name and contact info)
2) What’s in it for her? (the benefits of using your company specifically)
3) What do you want her to do next? (your call to action—phone, web address and email)
Track your responses . Use a different phone number, email and/or web address so you’ll know exactly where she came from. If you can't trace the business back to the mailing then you can't gauge your ROI (return on investment).
Consider making an offer (with an expiration date) for a sense of urgency. There are many different kinds of offers: dollars off, percentage off, free gift with purchase, added value (my favorite since they don’t get it unless they buy). Every demographic is attracted to offers as everyone likes knowing they got something extra, no matter how wealthy they are.
The foundation for a successful direct mail campaign is a great list—and the one you can get from The Knot (with your print ad or as a separate feature in non-print markets) is a list of new brides who have recently opted-in to receive information like this. It’s a much more qualified list than those who ended up on a list from entering a contest or attending an event. Our brides are more likely to be responsive to your message because of the opt-in format.
The best definition I’ve ever heard for “junk mail” is mail that reaches the wrong audience. No matter how good your mailing piece is, if it doesn't get to people who need your service, it won't work. Start with a better list and increase your chances.
Did you go to your mailbox today? Of course you did! And so did a lot of brides in your market area. Was your business' message there waiting for them? Will it be tomorrow?
-- Alan Berg