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*DIRECT MAIL TO PROMOTE AND MARKET* “how have you used direct mail?”
When I say “Direct Mail” I mean your post office! I know that most focus now on their mailing list with ‘Email and the Internet.' However, I am talking about direct mail with a physical address, which the post office delivers.
Honestly, and to be transparent, I hated the idea of a mailing list or being associated with people who constantly spammed people. Not that everyone will spam you, it’s just that many feel that direct mail was/is a good marketing practice, and it is. They just tend to abuse it in my opinion.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love reading engaging content. Whether it is about a dog, how to market your products or the person just wants to talk. However, I don’t want emails coming to my inbox 3 or 4 times a day. Once or twice a week is enough for me, hell once or twice a month will work too! I just unsubscribed from a small business entrepreneur, because they sent over 30 emails in less than two weeks. That is just too much for me to deal with, and no it is, not the norm. People do not want clutter, in their email accounts. It is the same as physical junk mail, and what do we do with junk mail?
CHOICES
I decided to do mine after really thinking about it, planning, and my way of course lol. I am slowly building a mailing list for emails, and physical addresses for marketing. I will use the United States Postal Service for delivery of my physical addresses for now. I decided to (split or separate) how I market myself, and what I market depending on the avenue used.
Email - I do plan to share what I am doing, working on, and any helpful advice or tips that I have received or used. I also plan to just have fun with it, as I am currently doing. I may talk about my love of music one day, and another about business cards.
Direct Mail- Send out postcards, flyers, or brochures every couple of months. These items may have quotes from my books, event dates, location, and time. If my books will be on sale, how long, and any new products or books that I am working on. *Use it to promote Southside Book and Writers Club*
For those who feel that Direct Mail is old school or becoming obsolete. The post office is like a funeral home or a nursing home. Times will get slow of course for them, but they are a necessity, will always be needed, and have the power to bounce back constantly. For several weeks, I have been analyzing my mail (what promotional flyers come in). I had received coupons, sales papers, and postcards from businesses and people all around the greater Richmond area, and not to mention the ads I received from businesses located out of state. So this time-tested method of marketing does work/still works! Remember everyone’s outcome will be different.
Have you used Direct Mail to advertise or to promote in any way? If not, why not! If you have, what do you use, brochures, flyers, or postcards? Yeah, I do have plenty of questions about the type of resources that can be used. My next question is does it matter, as long as it looks attractive and gets your message out there. I plan to start with a folded flyer for now and later start using postcards. There are several more things that I have to take into consideration when I start this Marketing Plan.
How often to advertise
Once a month
Every two or three months
Do I design my own flyers or hire out
Walgreens
Vistaprint
UPS
Budgeting
Ink
Paper
Outsource
Methods
Resources( postage, mailing list)
Do I purchase a mailing list or just go with the one I am building
Direct mail vendors
What is a Direct Mail, Vendor?
“They help businesses create memorable, actionable mailpieces. These experienced vendors offer phone or chat support for strategizing, formatting, designing, printing, preparing, and sending your mailing” (www.usps.com/business/vendors.htm).
USPS has quite a few affiliates in this business:
Amplified Mail
Grow Mail
Every Door Direct Mail
Amazing Mail
Click 2 Mail
PFL
Whatever you choose; do it yourself or outsourcing, just remember to plan accordingly, and choose wisely (research). https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230747#
Note: mailing lists can run you anywhere from 1.5 cents per household and up - (10,000 homes can be anywhere from $150 to $400 and up). You decide what works best for you, as always please do your research first.
I forgot to add that companies will also sell, you the mailing list of your choice. I was thunderstruck when I saw the type of list that I could request. The examples below are just a few of the mailing list you can get.
Renters’ mailing list
Birthday mailing list
New parent mailing list
High-income household mailing list
Pet owner mailing list
My apology for the length of this Talk Session, I wanted to make sure that I included everything that I researched and took notes on. I may have forgotten something or missed a step/detail. Again, and I can never say it enough (research).
As always I hope that you enjoyed, and found this information useful in some way. Until next time, please share
Kim
Kim_walton@yahoo.com
facebook@southsidebookandwritersclub
kimdurham175.wixsite.com/kimwalton-authorsite
