One Stop Mail Monthly Direct Mail Can Boost Business

5 Ways Monthly Direct Mail Marketing Can Boost Business Now

If sales are slow or you’re looking to expand your business, it is necessary to find new and innovative ways to reach your target audience. Direct mail may be a part of your current strategy, but have you tried monthly mailers to benefit from the full potential of this marketing tool?

According to the Direct Marketing Association, the optimal direct mail frequency is every 21 days, or about once per month. Below are the top five ways monthly mailers can boost business as a standalone campaign or as part of a multi touch campaign.

Increased Brand Awareness: Reach vs. Frequency

In general terms, reach is how many people see your advertising, while frequency is how many times your advertising is seen. In direct mail marketing, frequency wins. Strong recognition with a select audience is more valuable than weak recognition with a wide audience. If you’ve made frequent contact with the right set of potential customers, your brand or service will be top of mind when your recipient is ready to make a purchasing decision.

The main reason for sending out direct mail is to increase revenue for your business. To do this, you first have to increase awareness. The Marketing Rule of 7 is the idea that a potential customer needs to see your messaging 7 times before they take action. The brand awareness from monthly mailers will create referral traffic from recipients who have physically seen and touched your brand multiple times.

Engage Customers with Dynamic Content

Dynamic content is content that is always changing and evolving. You don’t want to send the same mailer over and over again.

Engage Customers with Dynamic Content

Monthly mailers give you the opportunity to change components such as:

  • layout and design
  • call to action (CTA) – the ask at the end of your mailer (purchase now, call to book, etc.)
  • new offers.

Keep it fresh to show that your company is dynamic and keeping up with the latest trends. Show off everything you have to offer with:

  • seasonal and timely content
  • targeted incentives
  • matching branding for recognition
  • quality printed materials.

Infrequent, irregular, or one-off communications don’t deliver on the level the customers expect. Branded, dynamic marketing works, especially when provided frequently.

More Personalized Marketing

Get to know your customers and allow them to get to know you with monthly engagement. In this era of digital connection, people expect you to know what they want. “Seventy-one percent of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions.

Personalized direct mail marketing includes:

  • Relevant product/service recommendations
  • Messaging tailored to the customer’s needs
  • Targeted promotions
  • Celebration of customer milestones such as birthdays or anniversaries with the company
  • Post-purchase follow-up

Direct marketing can help boost business by providing customers with incentives, such as discounts or free trials, that make them more likely to purchase a product or service. This is especially compelling for business new to a specific area, or for potential customers that have just moved to a neighborhood.

Improved Campaigns with Direct Mail AttributionOne Stop Mail Direct Mail Attribution

Monthly direct mail provides businesses with the opportunity to gather more data on customer behavior and preferences and better understand your target audience.

To help track key information, include:

  • QR codes
  • call tracking phone numbers
  • customized URLs
  • unique promo codes

You can use this data to adapt future direct mail campaigns to be more effective and to help you make more informed business decisions. You can also link it with digital or multi-touch campaigns for better reach.

Monthly Mailers Have Better ROI

All of the above add up to better ROI on direct mail for your marketing campaigns. Your direct mail campaigns have a goal to generate leads, raise brand awareness, and ultimately make sales. You increase the chances of that happening, and therefore boost your ROI, when you send out monthly mailers.

It’s proven that consistency pays off. “Only 2% of sales are made on the first contact, 3% on the second contact, 5% on the third, and 10% on the fourth. A whopping 80% of sales are made on the 5th-to-12th follow-up.” Don’t miss out, plan your monthly mailers as part of a long-term solution.

Consistency is Key

Managing a monthly direct mail campaign on your own can be time-consuming and requires a lot of resources. This is where partnering with a direct mail vendor can help.

You want to partner with a direct mail vendor that can consistently produce direct mail pieces that are eye-catching, high-quality, personalized, and trackable at the volume and rate ideal for your business. One Stop Mail has the experience and expertise to handle every step of your direct mail campaign.

If you’re ready to boost business with monthly direct mail, contact us for a quote today!

OSM Blog Hero image mortgage mailers 2

How to Boost Your Mortgage Leads With Mortgage Mailers

The competitive housing market is gearing up for another very busy spring season. With mortgage purchase originations expected to grow 9% in 2022, more consumers, businesses, and even organizations will be seeking mortgage programs. If your company is poised to take on new clients, now is a fantastic time to create a mortgage company direct mail campaign to take advantage of the uptick in the mortgage lending market.

As part of a well-rounded marketing strategy, a targeted, data-driven direct mail campaign helps to dramatically increase new leads and mortgage loan conversions. We dig into why direct mail can be an optimal fit for mortgage lead generation and how you can supercharge your marketing efforts.

Why Use Direct Mail For Mortgage Lead Generation

Houses with cactus

In a marketing landscape that’s becoming increasingly digital, direct mail remains one of the best ways to reach potential customers. In fact, direct mail use among mortgage companies alone has grown 439% in the past three years and shows no signs of slowing down precisely because of the overly crowded online space. Modern direct mail can leverage the modern data-driven targeting and list curation strategies to be the perfect complement to mortgage lending marketing programs.

Here are a few of the reasons mortgage companies prefer direct mail marketing:

  • Cost-effective: When done right, direct mail is far more cost-effective than many other alternative marketing strategies.
  • Targeted: With data-driven mailing lists, you can rest assured that your ads will target only the most qualified leads, boosting awareness and conversions.
  • Customizable: Mortgage direct mail products come in a variety of designs and are highly customizable, allowing you to stay on brand while sending the exact message you want to the right people.
  • Trackable: With advances in technology, direct mail marketing strategies are now more trackable than ever before. You’ll be able to see if your efforts are working and adjust when needed.
  • Off-line still works: Online advertising will always have its place in mortgage marketing, but direct mail is still an effective way to generate leads.

Use Custom, Data-Driven Mortgage Direct Mailing Lists

The first step to incorporating direct mail into your marketing strategy is to identify the ideal customer profiles that could become your next potential leads. Using a number of different factors, such as loan type, mortgage/interest rates, and other important demographic information, you can target the households that are most likely to need your services.

Woman Looking at mortgage mailersMortgage direct mailing lists are an essential part of reaching the right customers and informing them about your business. Since these lists are such a crucial element of your campaign’s success rates, it’s a good idea to turn to experts for help creating them. Direct mail experts will conduct a thorough review of the specific demographics in the neighborhoods you’re targeting, so you’ll know exactly whom you should be sending your direct mailers to.

If you already have mailing lists that aren’t performing as they should, direct mail list experts can also analyze them and make recommendations for improvement. They may even suggest additional names to add to your list or provide a “new movers” list.

Use A Range of Letters, Flyers & Postcards

After you’ve compiled your mailing list, the next step is to choose the best direct mail products to help you effectively reach these new leads. The three most popular choices for mortgage company direct mail marketing programs are personalized letters, flyers and postcards, each with its own advantages.

Mortgage Letters & Envelopes

Out of all the options, they feel the most formal and have more space for any information you may want to send. Mortgage letters are great for rate changes, previously funded, and many other types of notifications.

Mortgage Flyers

Somewhere between a traditional postcard and a letter is a customized flyer that can both get a potential client’s attention and deliver a relevant message. Sizes, designs and messaging can vary depending on the marketing goals of the company making them a highly flexible option.

Mortgage Postcards

Simple and straightforward, postcards are the most cost-effective choice to get into every lead’s mailbox. They are ideal for a quick message along with creative imagery and a call to action, featuring your business’ contact information.

Use Personalized Experiences With Variable Data Mailing

The best way for mortgage lenders to generate more potential leads using a direct mail campaign is to create a personalized experience using customer data and evolving trends.

Happy Smiling couple shaking hands with broker

The mortgage types and rates that your company offers will likely vary based on a potential customer’s qualifications, such as credit score and rental/buyer status. By accessing this information, you’ll be able to customize the kinds of direct mail you send to specific addresses and hopefully increase response rates.

For example, direct mail messages offering low down payment options can increase response rates for first-time homebuyers discouraged by the initial financial requirements of a mortgage. A well-executed direct mail campaign using customized imagery and messaging will be able to reach more qualified leads and encourage them to learn more about what your company has to offer.

Learn More About Your Mortgage Company Direct Mail Options

A direct mail campaign integrated into a well-rounded marketing strategy with multiple touchpoints is a great way to ensure that you’re reaching potential customers at every step. The team at One Stop Mail has experience in a wide variety of industries, including finance, and will be happy to help you achieve the best results possible from your mortgage direct mail campaign.

From choosing your direct mail products to compiling targeted mailing lists, our experts will work with you through every step to help your campaign perform at its best.

To learn more about our mortgage direct mail options, contact us at (602) 223-3003. Ready to get started? Request a free no-hassle direct mail quote!

restaurant direct mail restaurant owner and chef

3 Eye-Opening Restaurant Direct Mail Marketing Tips that Fill Seats

Dining out is an integral part of American life. It’s estimated that 163 million adults or roughly 64% of U.S. citizens eat out once a week. That equates to about $602 billion a year. That’s a lot of cheddar! A restaurant direct mail marketing campaign can help you get your share.

There are the three critical direct mail campaign steps that can result in more profit so you can expand into new locations or simply create peace of mind for you and your staff.

Before we get into the basics of restaurant direct mail, you may wonder if mail is still a viable marketing tool. Yes…

Direct Mail Delivers

It’s more than a catchy headline – direct mail converts more prospects to customers than email alone. According to the Association of National Advertisers, 4.9% of direct mail recipients buy from advertisers versus 1% for email alone. That’s four times more new buyers!

Additional research shows that 76% of Americans trust mailed advertisements. Read more about direct mail stats in this recent One Stop Mail article. Or learn specifics about the keys to restaurant direct mail marketing success by reading on.

Targeted Mailings

restaurant direct mail multiracial friends at a restaurantThis is more important than ever for restaurants that depend on ongoing patronage to be successful. A direct mail campaign sent to all the homes and businesses in your geographic area is better than no direct mail, but by segmenting your audience, you can deliver what it is they’re looking for.

New customers may be attracted by your menu, testimonials, or a good rating from a local entertainment guide, while new business customers might want to know about catering or easy pickup service.

Your patrons already like you and may want to know about menu changes or specials that say, “Thank you,” for being a regular diner.

Multiple mailing lists are important so you can target your customers – both consumers and businesses, new customer prospects, and business prospects. Deliver mailers that are meaningful to each of your target audiences.

Variable data printing can customize a postcard or mailer to fit multiple audiences. Add a different introduction, offer or call-to-action to speak to your targeted customer and get the best results.

You can also customize coupons, because…

Coupons are King

restaurant direct mail barista holding gift voucherNo surprise here – consumers love getting a deal. However, you may not have thought that you don’t have to offer deep discounts to new customers.

A new menu item can be an opportunity to cement the loyalty of regular patrons by sending a mailer to your house-customer list announcing the new item and giving them a small “regulars” discount to try something. Your long-time customers will feel valued and special.

If you’d rather capture new customers, send the announcement to a prospect list that targets homeowners in the geographic area of your restaurant. Customize the list to reach individuals in a particular income demographic or homes with children if you own a family establishment. Invite prospects to your restaurant to try the new dish or any of the other succulent items on your menu.

Bonus Pro Tip – Send different coupons to your regular customers and prospects to maximize results. Your goal is different with each group, to preserve an ongoing, valuable relationship versus establishing a new one. New customers may want to try a variety of items and enjoy a free appetizer with the purchase of a full-price main course.

A Restaurant Direct Mail Marketing Must: Standout Color

To ensure that your mailer always rises to the top of a crowded mailbox above your competitors, use show-stopping color. Yes, your restaurant direct mail must align to brand specifications, but the color must be vibrant and jump off the page to stop readers in their tracks.

You also aim to have your mailer stay in your patrons’ homes, on bulletin boards or refrigerators. Although mailers stay around homes an average of 17 days, if your restaurant’s postcard is beautiful, fun, or elegant – you may just exceed the average and get more top-of-mind awareness.

Getting off-the-chart color isn’t easy. Retain the services of an experienced graphic designer and commercial printer with years of experience in creating winning direct mail campaigns.

Fill Every Seat

restaurant direct mail people eating outside a restaurantRestaurants are essential to communities. Help more of your neighbors discover where to enjoy delicious, nourishing meals and a special atmosphere so your restaurant can experience longevity and long-term profitability.

One Stop Mail has professionals who are knowledgeable in restaurant direct mail marketing who can create your mailer from start to finish. Before your next direct mail campaign, call Marty at 602.962.4062 or request a quote online.

For more Direct Mail resources, click here. 

bulk direct mail services young girl near posting box web

6 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Get More Leads with Bulk Direct Mail

These days it seems like everyone is about building an email list. Customer relationship management exists in solely online spaces and is built to target those whose information can be collected digitally. Is it possible that so many industries are missing out on bulk direct mail services?

Bulk Direct Mail Services One Stop Mail showing letters in a mailbox webThis print service offers a variety of ways to reach potential leads and build out your contact lists. And not only does direct mail work in a variety of industries, but it also fits many budgets. You can tweak a direct mail plan to be affordable or more expensive with just a few simple changes. In the end, you collect more leads.

Discover the six ridiculously simple ways to collect more leads with bulk direct mail services.

1. Increase Brand Awareness

They can’t become your customer if they have never heard of you before. Direct mail is an excellent way to get your name, branding, and value propositions in front of people by delivering directly into their hands.

Bulk direct mail services offer an opportunity to send flyers, coupons, postcards, and more to every address in a given area. For a new business, this can be particularly important as a way to build brand awareness.

2. Get Your Message Out Faster Than an Ad Campaign

Ad campaigns take time and often have multiple stages of rollout. Ad campaigns may also be dependent on the release schedules of the publications they appear in, such as newspapers. Marketing advisors may even suggest scheduling a budget ad campaign over 40 weeks to get the right amount of notice.

A direct mail campaign, however, takes only the time of design and printing to get in the hands of new potential leads. Though you may schedule waves of your direct mailings similar to a traditional ad campaign, you can feel confident that you are getting more individual notice faster as potential leads hold your independent flyer or postcard.

3. Reach Millennials with Bulk Direct Mail Services

bulk direct mail services people with cellphones webOne of the most surprising direct mail statistics is how much it appeals to the Millennial generation. Known for their digital upbringing, Millennials are often thought of as strictly digital prospects. But the novelty of direct mail seems to attract this segment of buyers in a unique way.

In fact, 88% of Millennials look at their mail. They are checking to make sure nothing of value is missed and the vast majority—80%—say they look forward to this chore. When it comes to direct mail, Millennials remain just as engaged, with 66% bringing pieces such as coupons to brick and mortar store locations or following directions to a website.

For businesses that are looking to target Millennials—a group now squarely in their 30s and invested in career-building, homeownership, and childrearing—enacting a direct mail marketing campaign could glean unexpected results.

4. Use Precise Customer Targeting

Bulk direct mail services offer a surprising number of ways to precisely target customers. That’s because most direct mail campaigns are based on curated lists that lump customers together by commonalities.

For instance, a pool company can purchase a list of local, high-income individuals who own their own homes. This can help them target people with the income and space to purchase a pool or pool services. Instead of wasting money accidentally targeting potential customers who rent homes, this curated list betters the chances of the pool company connecting with new customers.

Another approach to use in precise customer targeting is every door direct mail. This permits geographical targeting via mail routes. Businesses work with the United States Postal Service to get contact information from specific neighborhoods. This helps businesses really target groups of people for whom a local business—like a pizza place—would be relevant due to proximity.

5. Stand Out in a Digital World with Bulk Direct Mail Services

bulk direct mail services colorful envelopes webStanding out is a goal for every marketing campaign, but it may be easier to reach than you might think with direct mail marketing.

Mail is novel in a day where you might receive 50 emails but just one envelope. Successful direct mail campaigns capitalize on the immediacy of holding a piece of mail in your hands. From glossy, bright postcards to richly printed, tactile envelopes, using something physical in your marketing campaign can help you stand out from the on-screen inundation most potential customers live with each day.

6. Use Variety to Be More Relevant

Variable data printing makes it possible to deliver more relevant information to customers within the same campaign. You may be targeting middle-class citizens of a particular town with your new store. But amidst that group, you have an even distribution of men and women. What if you could tailor your flyer to hold most of the same information, but slant in the interests of either a male or female reader?

That’s precisely what variable data printing allows you to do, by hyper-targeting within the same printed campaign. This printing technology is simply a better way to create printed direct mail with some personalization.

It also allows you to add contact information rather than a stand-in like “Our Neighbor” so leads feel attention has been paid to them specifically. With over half of shoppers saying personalized advertising helped them make a purchase decision, it’s a smart idea to embrace variable data printing.

Direct mail marketing is a tool your business needs to generate more leads for less time and cost. With these six ridiculously simple ways to get more leads using bulk direct mail services, why aren’t you using them already? Reach out to One Stop Mail today to get a free quote on your direct mail project or call (602) 233-3003 with questions today.

Executing your Plan woman organizing notes for Direct Mail Campaign web

Why Direct Mail Is Key For Omnichannel Marketing Strategy

An omnichannel marketing strategy places brands nearly everywhere customers are. They pop up wherever people put their attention – while they watch television, at the movie theater, as they browse social media and the internet.

You don’t have to look far to find a brand that’s gone omnichannel. Think about how often a certain insurance brand with royal-blue block lettered logo, their Australian pitch-Gecko, and Flo the bundling enthusiast continually crosses your view. Geico’s merry band sets up shop on all digital, media channels, print magazines, and in mailboxes – it is impossible to miss them.

Omnichannel Marketing Strategy image showing online shopping One Stop Mail webWhy go to the trouble? Not everyone who sees Geico today will be in the market for personal insurance, but when there’s a need, one of its catchy ads or recognizable logos will probably be there.

If you’re doing a version of multi-channel marketing and wonder how it can be more effective, you’re not alone. You may even wonder whether direct mail belongs in your omnichannel marketing strategy. Let’s examine what it is, whether to include direct mail and how to build a winning plan that can be adjusted to your budget.

What is an Omnichannel Marketing Strategy?

A key to an effective omnichannel marketing strategy is to create the same experience across all platforms. When a prospective customer sees your brand in an email, as a website banner, or in the mail, they identify them as belonging to your business.

Techtarget defines omnichannel marketing as a sales approach that creates an integrated, seamless customer experience, whether the customer is shopping from a desktop or mobile computer, by telephone, in a physical store location.

Key elements include utilizing the same artwork, colors, and tagline across all channels – and similar or the same messaging. By expanding the message through broader platforms, you extend your reach and create greater impressions.

Does Direct Mail Fit into Your Omnichannel Marketing Strategy?

Yes. Direct mail is already an effective way to connect with customers and generate new sales. Its staying power alone is worth the investment. When you integrate a seamless message across several other channels it strengthens your return on investment.

Direct Mail Campaign with Omnichannel Marketing Strategy webA study shows that adding direct mail to an omnichannel marketing campaign boosts performance 63% if it’s well-branded, integrated, and personalized.

Considering the overall effectiveness of direct mail, an omnichannel approach offers an exceptional return on investment while remaining an excellent method to stay in front of your clients. Here some recent stellar stats about direct mail:

House mail lists get great response rates

If you use direct mail, you probably have a “house” list. According to data gathered by the Data and Marketing Association (DMA) and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in 2018, the response rate for house lists is 9% compared to 4.9% for prospects’ lists.

And, if it’s like the recent trajectory, it will continue to get better. The DMA notes that there has been a significant increase in response rates between 2015 to 2018; 125% for house lists and a whopping 400% for prospect lists.

Direct mail gets noticed

Although email may be a bit cheaper and easier, it’s easy to miss. It can end up in the spam folder or look just like the other annoying email that’s been trolling you for months.

According to the DMA, about 42.2% of direct mail is read or scanned because the recipients go through the mail.

Mail has decreased so your mail stands out

Since the popularity of digital marketing, mail has decreased steadily. This gives direct mail marketers a tremendous advantage – less competition means you get noticed more often. Take advantage of this unique space.

Mail recipients purchased 28% more items than those who don’t get mail

Oversized Direct Mail box One Stop Mail webThe fact that mail is kept much longer than email could contribute to this statistic. What marketer wouldn’t be happy with that conversion rate?

Oversized packaging gets extra attention

Although you can expect a respectable response rate from postcards, (4.25%) and catalogs (3.9%), the biggest response rate belongs to oversized envelopes at 5%, according to these statistics.

Now that you can see that its results put direct mail into most winning marketing campaigns, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and discover how to integrate it into your omnichannel marketing strategy.

Creating an Omnichannel Marketing Strategy with Direct Mail

While you understand how to create an effective marketing campaign, omnichannel requires you to expand a consistent marketing message across multiple marketing platforms. The idea is to create an experience your customers will recognize as belonging to you when they are online, receive mail, and are watching or listening to broadcast media.

Assuming you already have a marketing message that you want to share, let’s choose the channels you’d like to use to market your business, product, or service. Here are common choices:

  1. Mail
  2. Email
  3. Social media
  4. Print media
  5. Media advertising

What goes into the omnichannel marketing plan?

Then, choose the vehicles that you’ll be using and how frequently you’ll use them. Here are examples of a quarterly campaign:

1. Mail – Oversized postcards

a. 1 postcard for a house list
b. 1 postcard for prospect list with a new buyer special offer
c. Personalize all postcards
d. Sent every other week (6 mailings)

2. Email – Drip campaign with 4 bi-weekly emails

a. 1 email for current customers
b. 1 email for prospects with a new buyer special offer
c. Emailed every other week with new subject lines

3. Social media – Facebook campaign

a. Ad for current customers (12 ads)
b. Ad for prospects with new buyer special offer (12 ads)
c. Posted 3 – 4 times weekly

4. Print media – Local monthly magazine

a. ¼ page ad run 3 times

Controlling your budget

While this may all seem too labor-intensive and potentially expensive the results you get from a well-executed campaign with clear messaging, great branding, personalization, and an unforgettable offer will be worth it.

Control you spending with Omnichannel Marketing Strategy One Stop Mail webYou may have noticed that the broadcast media didn’t make it into the final list. That’s because the cost of running a 30-second ad can be expensive unless you want it to air at 2:00 a.m., especially if you’re in a larger metropolitan area. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of producing the commercial.

To keep within budget, you may want to eliminate the media ads in favor of a more targeted advertising platform, like mail.

To further keep your budget below the breaking point, print advertising may also be on the chopping block. A national magazine cites the cost of print advertising typically ranges between $500 and $20,000. While well-targeted print ads can be effective and exceed the staying power of mail, your customer must find them among the publication’s many pages. With postcards – the message is crystal clear.

Executing Your Plan

After the decision has been made about which channels to use, if you haven’t created the marketing, it’s time to do that. Then, look at the timeframe that your campaign will run and determine when each element of the plan will be deployed.

While you may have an in-house team to create the campaign message and execute the social media and email portions of the printing, mail lists, and mailing requires special skills.

Executing your Plan woman organizing notes for Direct Mail Campaign webChoosing an organization that understands the importance of direct mail and how it fits into an omnichannel marketing approach is essential.

One Stop Mail has specialists on staff who can create a customized prospect mail list to give you the best opportunity to get new customers. They can also cleanse a non-performing house list to get more of the direct mail-omnichannel marketing benefits your business deserves.

In addition, their printers understand that a vibrant, quality mailer has the best opportunity of delivering your message to your recipient. And, if you need graphic design help to ensure your campaign design transitions seamlessly to a postcard, One Stop Mail can deliver that, too.

To be successful, your omnichannel marketing strategy must be on-point and delivered to absolute perfection – especially your direct mail. If you’re looking for a partner who is committed to the success of each mailing, contact One Stop Mail at 602.233.3003.

Direct Mail Marketing surprised young woman looking at personalized mail piece One Stop Mail web

Personalized Direct Mail Gets Better Results!

Have you ever opened your mailbox, grabbed a stack of letters, postcards, and newsletters and as you’re sifting through, you find a beautiful postcard with your name with a friendly salutation? That’s a personalized direct mail piece.

If done right, seeing your name stopped you and made you take a closer look at the mailer, the name of the business, and the offer. Smarter businesses are using this technique more and more to help stand out in a busy mailbox.

What is Personalized Direct Mail?

Just like seeing your name in the header, personalization means printing a piece of data specific to the person you are mailing to.  The Personalized Direct Mail being run on printing machine One Stop Mail webpersonalization could be their name, an offer code that’s specific to their demographic or order history, account number, current monthly payment, estimated new APR rate… really, the opportunities are endless.

Savvy marketers are using personalized direct mail to pass along important information, special offers. or remind consumers of their interests.

All you need for a personalized direct mail piece is who you want to mail to and a list with the data points you want to have printed.  It’s that simple.  Experts like One Stop Mail, with close to 40 years of experience in personalized direct mail (also referred to as Variable Data Printing), will handle the rest.

Grab Attention in the Mailbox

A personalized mail piece is a show-stopper in the mailbox. With the sheer volume of direct mail, it’s painfully hard to stand out. Personalized direct mail helps you do just that. A piece with personal information connects to the recipient.

Because the recipient stops to look at their name, the natural tendency is to look through the mailer and the offer, unlike non-personalized mail and email offers.

Show You Care About Your Customer or Donor

Personalized Direct Mail gets results African American Man looking at mail by mailbox One Stop Mail webPersonalized direct mail allows you to show your loyal customers or donors that you KNOW them.  Whether it’s by using their name, including a special offer code based on years of patronage, or a donation request based on their giving history, you can customize your information to create a more personal, intimate customer experience.

Variable Data Just Makes You Look Smarter

When you use personalized variable data on a mailer, it shows that you’re a sharp marketer.  The ability to communicate custom information, personalized to the recipient, allows the flexibility to vary offers or donation asks.  Smart marketers take advantage of this to get a competitive edge against their competition.

Find the Right Partner

When it comes to developing a successful personalized direct mail campaign in 2021 and beyond, a solid partner with experience is essential. One Stop Mail has nearly 40 years in direct mail and guides you at every step of your campaign development.

If you have big revenue goals to hit, the professionals at One Stop Mail are waiting to help you get started. Call 602.932.0276 or request a quote and get started today.

OSM HVAC blog feature image

How to Create an Effective HVAC Direct Mail Marketing Campaign in 5 Easy Steps

Businesses that rely on local, in-person customers—like HVAC companies—can greatly benefit from running a direct mail marketing campaign to reach more people. Direct mail marketing campaigns gather regional data to contact prospective customers by mail. HVAC HVAC Direct Mail Marketing OneStop Mail blog repair technician working on AC unti outside webdirect mail marketing can introduce a company to many more clients all at once, and at a fraction of the cost of digital marketing.

Direct mail is one of the most cost-effective marketing options out there for companies by offering a significantly higher response rate (up to 10x!) than digital marketing.

When working with a direct mail partner like One Stop Mail, HVAC companies have experience and resources on their side to target ideal customers, create eye-catching mailers and make a big enough impression to draw clients in.

If you’re thinking about running a direct mail marketing campaign, follow these five easy steps to get it underway.

1. Get the Right Mailing List

Getting the right mailing list is key to a successful direct marketing campaign. There are several ways to gather a mailing list.

An excellent base for a mailing list is current and previous customers. However, if you are looking to drive new introductions with your campaign, this may offer limited options.

You can buy or rent lists from list compilers and brokers. They make lists that are easy to revise based on particular industries. By providing a customer profile based on your current customer list, you can show them exactly what kind of customer you’d like more of.

Another option to consider is every door direct mail (EDDM). Working with the USPS to get mailing route information, you can have access to large geographic swathes of potential customers. The only thing they have in common is living near each other, but for local HVAC companies supplying a general product or service that virtually everyone needs at some point, this can be enough to start building contacts.

2. Design Your Mailer Intelligently

One Stop Mail Blog colorful envelops webBoth the content and the design of your mailer matter when it comes to getting noticed in someone’s mailbox. There are many ways to make direct mail intriguing enough to deserve a second glance, such as specialty envelopes or tapping into some color psychology.

Postcards are a common go-to for direct mail. These are a cost-effective option for direct mail with a lot of real estate to include visual cues and information. Opting for slightly larger postcards can get you more space without a significant increase in cost.

Incorporating digital elements into postcards, like QR codes or scannable coupons, is a simple, effective way to take the recipient to a next step.

3. Make an Impression

In marketing, an “impression” is each time potential customers come in contact with your brand. Industry wisdom says it usually requires around seven impressions before someone truly recognizes a brand.

Each time your mailer ends up in the hands of a potential customer, you can make a new impression. By building on design, incorporate information that will help them remember who you are. Snappy slogans or directions framed as, “Find us right next to the Dunkin’ on Main,” can start to build connections for the customer.

4. Utilize Tripwires in Your HVAC Direct Mail Marketing

One Stop Mail HVAC Direct Mail Marketing team strategizing with charts and graphs webThe goal of HVAC direct mail marketing is not always to make a huge profit. Typically, it is a way to extend a business service to new customers. By offering a low-cost service, such as HVAC inspection, and leaning on a discounted promotion, you can connect with new customers, let them see the type of work you do, and hopefully add them to your client list for higher-priced projects.

This is known as a “tripwire.” Price items and services at can’t-resist low costs. Provide something convenient and desirable that clients may have been skimping on until they found the right price.

5. Learn Something

You can’t think of a direct marketing campaign only in terms of the number of dollars it fetches in precise response to this single wave of your marketing strategy. Instead, think of your direct marketing campaign as one of the best options for market research.

Strengthen your mailing list by seeing which neighborhoods responded best to your campaign. Any returned addresses can be removed from your list to streamline your targets and save money on the next wave of the campaign.

Work with One Stop Mail on Your HVAC Direct Mail Marketing

If you’re ready to take on the direct marketing world to enhance brand recognition and introduce yourself to more customers, work with One Stop Mail on your HVAC direct marketing campaign.

With almost 40 years in the direct mail and print services industry, One Stop Mail has the knowledge and experience to support your direct marketing campaigns. Our wide variety of services include mailing list, data service, print, and graphic design, offset, digital printing services, direct mail service, and easy fulfillment. We are truly your one-stop direct mail service!

To expand your customer base, request a quote from One Stop Mail. We can offer you information about how to get started and what your best options might be. Reach out to us today at [email protected] or (602) 233-3003.

OSM Blog Effective direct mail campaign

Effective Direct Mail Campaigns Repeat Themselves

There’s an adage that says doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. But what is it called when you repeat behavior that has given you great results to get the same good results? I call it genius, especially when it comes to effective direct mail campaigns.   

Sharp business owners know that repeated mailings can be successful, but that doesn’t mean sending out the same cards with the same messages to the same clients. Sending duplicate offers too many times could result in diminishing results.  

Let’s explore why you want to do repeat mailings and the strategies that you, as a business owner can use to elevate your success with each mailing. First, why would you want to mail, then repeat your mailings? 

Effective Direct Mail Campaigns Pay You 

Despite the proliferation of digital marketing, there’s data that shows that direct mail delivers a bigger return than email marketing. Did you know that direct mail sent to house lists had a 9% response rate and a prospect list yielded a 4.9% response? That’s great compared to email, which got a 1% response rate.  

With response rates like that, who wouldn’t want to repeat their mailings? There are other benefits to mailing customers multiple times.  

Brand Visibility 

effective direct mail campaigns man with laptop opening mail webIn marketing, there’s a theory that a prospect must encounter your brand an average of seven times before they are ready to purchase. This theory is creatively called The Rule of 7.  

Whether or not effective direct mail campaigns will get results after the seventh mailing isn’t the point. The point is, when you’re introducing your business or service to a new prospect, you can’t just expect them to whip out their wallet. You need to woo them and get them comfortable with your brand. Multiple mailings will help.  

Build Credibility 

If you’re a new business or new to an area, you must start from scratch. New prospects can’t rely on word-of-mouth recommendations from neighbors or the presumption of reliability that comes with decades in business.  

When you’re the new kid on the block, you must be noticed before you can ask for a seat at the popular table. This means you must trade a piece of chocolate cake for a mushy apple a couple of times to get invited to the popular table. What that means is a tasty offer mailed several times – at least three in my experience, after your prospect has heard from you at least once.  

Beat the Competition 

If you have business competitors, it’s a matter of getting in front of a targeted audience before the other guys do. That means mailing more frequently. A postcard delivered on the right day can make all the difference.  

Take Advantage of the Novelty 

effective direct mail campaigns woman reading a flyer webDid you know that mail volume has been steadily declining in volume each year since 2006? It was 213 billion units in 2006 and in 2020 it was only 129.2 billion units of mail.  

For direct mailers like me, this isn’t bad news – it’s an opportunity! In 2006, there were nearly double the mail in the mailbox and you had to stand out among heavier competition. Today, it’s half that amount and more of your competitors are online.  

Now, holding your colorful oversized is unique, a novelty – and your business stands out.  

Additional Steps for an Effective Direct Mail Campaign

Planning an effective direct mail campaign includes strategies for multiple mailings. This includes the type of mailer you choose, the strategic positioning of each mailing, offers, and lists. If this all feels too overwhelming, no worries. One Stop Mail has a team full of experts who can help you navigate the intricacies of direct mail.  

And, if you need design services or list expertise, we have that, too. Just contact us or give us a call at 602.962.5104. 

OSM Healthcare Marketing Budget Blog feature image

What Should Your Healthcare Marketing Budget be in 2021

When most healthcare providers attend school, they don’t usually think about what it takes to run a practice; the last thing on their minds is a healthcare marketing budget – or any direct marketing plan. But planning to reach and acquire new patients is crucial if you want a thriving practice.  

Why? Because no matter how exceptional your care, how much your patients love and trust you, some will leave your practice. Some patients will move out of the area, grow out of your specialty, or won’t be a fit for your practice. 

If your patient acquisition plans don’t outpace the rate that patients leave, then your practice is at risk. To get the best results, use the best strategies to attract new patients. 

Healthcare Direct Mail Marketing Delivers

Healthcare Marketing Budget older woman seeing her mail webWhy direct mail? Because people spend more time with it, it stays in the minds of your prospects longer, and it has a good rate of return. This isn’t just lip service, the statistics prove it:

BMC Health Services Research demonstrates that healthcare direct mail marketing is an effective tool for patient acquisition and retention when it’s done properly. The overall message is to use organizations that are proficient in communicating to various patient streams. 

42% of individuals look over their direct mail – which means that if you send out 1,000 postcards in a campaign, then 420 people looked at it. That’s an impressive rate. 

73% of Americans say they prefer direct mail. When comparing direct mail to other methods of communication, including email, people prefer to receive mail. 

Direct mail offers a 29% return on investment. So, if you spend $5,000 on your campaign, you can expect to make at least $6,450; a $10,000 campaign can expect a return of about $12,900. These numbers only show the results of a one-time purchase, the lifetime value of a new patient is much higher. 

With impressive statistics like this, how much of your healthcare marketing budget should be allocated to direct mail? 

Your Healthcare Marketing Budget

How much should you allocate to marketing? A good rule of thumb is between 5 to 10% of a practice’s revenue should go toward marketing [1], but if you’re building the practice or establishing a new practice, then as much as 12% should be allocated.  

After you’ve determined the marketing budget, it’s time to decide what percentage should be spent on different marketing channels. To determine this, decide which channel will give you the best results. 

Direct mail vs. email

Healthcare Marketing Budget young woman sat in floor checking her mail webYou may naturally think of email and digital marketing as inexpensive, easy options, but they don’t deliver the results that healthcare direct mail does. Plus, an effective email campaign requires an “opt-in” from the receiver – so it’s not the best option to gain new patients. 

Plus, recipients remember direct mail longer than an email –  direct mail has an average lifespan of 17 days. That’s because an attractive offer or colorful postcard will make it to the refrigerator, bulletin, or whiteboard. But emails are often victims of group email purges and not be thought of at all.

If you’re concerned that only older adults like direct mail, the Small Business Association says that younger individuals don’t look at direct mail as “junk mail” and often prefer direct mail to receive service and product offers.  

People spend more with direct mail

According to a 2018 article by Email Insider, not only do they confirm direct mail’s prolonged shelf life and that Millennials like it, but they also show that direct mail recipients spend 5 times more than email recipients. 

Cost of Patient Acquisition vs. Patient ROI

As mentioned above, your initial investment in a healthcare direct mail campaign will get about a 29% ROI, according to SEO marketing guru Neil Patel. Using this formula, the more you’re willing to invest, the bigger your return. 

To calculate your ROI, use this handy calculator. Simply estimate the size of your direct mail campaign and other elements, including the initial fees new patients will pay, the percentage of new patients that will stay with your practice, and more. The tool will help you determine your break-even point and likely revenue for the campaign. 

New patients who return and create long-term relationships with you, your staff, and patients can return a lifetime of value. What is that worth to you? More than the cost of a healthcare direct mail campaign. 

Direct Mail Works for Patient Communication

Although acquiring new patients is important, retaining your patients is essential. You can use your patient list to send direct mail and communicate: 

  • Healthcare Marketing Budget flyer example webSpecial holiday hours – It’s also important to communicate how to receive treatment when your office is closed.
  • Special protocols – The COVID-19 pandemic is creating concerns, which you can ease by sharing sanitation methods and mask-wearing requirements. 
  • How to reschedule missed appointments
  • Telehealth offerings, virtual appointments, and other new services
  • Office and service updates to keep the community close

 

A postcard, flyer-letter, or newsletter are wonderful ways to keep your practice top-of-mind. They also provide the perfect way for your patients to refer you with a “pass-along” communique that can give prospects an idea of what it will be like to become your patient. 

The effectiveness of direct mail demonstrates the importance of establishing a healthcare direct mail budget for your practice. Direct mail delivers the best results and should have a significant portion of your budget. Choosing an expert to partner with you to develop and deploy direct mail campaigns deserves significant consideration.

One Stop Mail has experts who can assist you with every element of direct mail, including creating lists, eye-catching healthcare designs, and the highest quality offset and variable data printing. Contact us or give us a call at 602-233-3003 if you want to raise your ROI on your next healthcare direct mail marketing campaign.  

Crush Your Revenue Goals With a Direct Mail Campaign woman checkin her mailbox web

How to Crush Your Revenue Goals With a Direct Mail Campaign in 2021

If you’re starting the year with big revenue goals to accomplish, that can be a huge, continuous task. Establishing a target and a plan to achieve it is essential if you want to reach for the stars – and we are here to help. Here is your blueprint to create a winning direct mail campaign in 2021.   

Why a Mail Campaign? 

It converts prospects into buyers.  

Yes, email is a less expensive way to reach customers and prospects, but it doesn’t convert prospects into buyers. According to the Association of National Advertisers’ (ANA)/Data & Marketing Association’s (DMA) 2018 response rate report, an average of 4.9% of prospects who receive direct mail will order from that company. Only 1% of prospects responded to an email. 

When buyers receive a mailer from a company they’ve purchased from before, 9% of them will make another purchase. 

If you want more buyers, go with direct mail.  

How Does Mail Get Sales?  

Crush Your Revenue Goals With a Direct Mail Campaign young woman opening mail webResearch shows that Americans prefer mail. 

Marketing research heavy-weight Marketing Sherpa says 76% of people trust ads that they receive in the mail. 

The organization points to the scarcity of print that makes it so valuable to recipients. Think about how many ads, catalogs, mailers that you receive daily and compare it to the number of emails that you receive. If you’re like most, you get 121 emails each day on average. How much harder is it to be noticed in the inbox versus the mailbox? 

If you want your message to reach your recipient, use mail.  

Create a Mail Campaign in 2021 

If you don’t already know who your best customers are, research your target market to determine demographic markers, such as whether the decision-maker is male or female, what’s their age and education level. Your marketing message will vary depending on who your customers are and what you’d like to offer.  

Are you trying to generate business with new customers? Are you looking to retain current customers? Are you trying to win back customers who haven’t used your services for a while? Answers these questions to understand your overall goals and what your mail campaign will help you accomplish.  

Craft a Compelling Offer 

When you want to reach specific revenue goals, make it attractive for customers to say yes by giving them an exciting offer that makes them want to say, “Yes!” 

You don’t have to discount your products or services if you frame your offer to appeal to your best audience. Or get loyal customers to offer a genuine testimonial. To learn more about how to craft an offer to help turn prospects into customers, read on

Build your List(s) 

Crush Your Revenue Goals With a Direct Mail Campaign managing mail webWhat makes or breaks your direct mail campaign in 2021 is your list. If you’ve been using a mail list that isn’t performing the way that you want, it’s time to upgrade.   

Scrub the non-performing addresses from your list and rebuild it with addresses that will perform better, like recipients that fit the demographic profile of your best customers. To find them, you’ll need expert list builders, like One Stop Marketing’s professionals.  

In addition to cleaning up your house list, they’ll be able to put together a customized prospect list or can provide you with all new movers in your neighborhood or will work with the post office to complete Every Door Direct Mail, or EDDM.  

Put Together your Mail Schedule 

If you’re like most business owners, you may have noticed a seasonality to your business. During certain times of the year, there’s a spike in business. If you scheduled mailers to reach your customers, could you increase those spikes in revenue?  

Pre-plan for the year and create your compelling offer to get the best result.  

Mailer, Flyer, or Postcard? 

Decide which mailed collateral will help you stand out in mailboxes and get you the best result. If you’re unsure, work with an experienced print and mailing house to help you balance the attention-grabbing graphics and size of your mailer with your budget.  

If you require graphic design expertise, One Stop Mail has that, too.  

Crush Your Revenue Goals With a Direct Mail Campaign flyer postcard web

Personalize Your Offer with Variable Data Printing 

Research shows that people who see a letter or postcard with their name on it have a better feeling about the sender and are more likely to buy. A survey shows that 59% of buyers say that personalization influenced their buying decision.  

Fortunately, digital printing has brought the cost of variable data printing down in recent years, making it an affordable, as well as profitable, option.  

Get the Right Partner for your Direct Mail Campaign

When it comes to developing a successful direct mail campaign in 2021 and beyond, a solid partner with experience is essential. One Stop Mail has more than 14 years in direct mail and guides you at every step of your campaign development. 

If you have big revenue goals to hit, the professionals at One Stop Mail are waiting to help you get started. Contact us, or call 602.932.0276 and get started today.