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!

Pool Service Marketing Tips image One Stop Mail web

5 Pool Service Marketing Tips To Attract New Customers

“Summertime and the living’s easy” or so the song goes. A clean, cool pool makes summer living super easy. If you’re a pool service pro, this season is likely your busiest and most lucrative time of year. Keep your calendar full and hold off the competition with the latest targeted pool service marketing tactics.

Whether you have an established route of customers, you’re building from scratch, or expanding into new territory, these 4 steps can make summer an easy, fun season for pool owners in your area!

Pool Service Marketing Tip 1: Stay Within Their Sights

Pool Service Marketing Tips with pool service man cleaning and checking PH level of pool One Stop Mail webIf you’re not ready to expand, it’s smart to stay visible. Even your best customers could be tempted by a “new customer offer” from a competitor. Remind your customers and tell prospects what your super-power is to maintain your customer base.

Remind them why they want your services – you’re the best pool maintenance and repair service with hundreds of perfect Google reviews, or perhaps you include an extra service like basic deck-washing at no additional fee, or maybe you offer pool accessories at rock-bottom prices.

Now that you’ve determined that you need to communicate to your customers, what’s the best reminder? Swimming pool postcards – here’s why:

Postcards have staying power

The results are in, and surveys show that marketing mail stays around an average of 17 days. Imagine how long pool owners will keep a colorful postcard or killer offer. It’s the perfect size to hang on a refrigerator, bulletin board, or tape to a whiteboard giving decision-makers repeated exposure to your service.

People read marketing mail

The same survey says a whopping 42.2% of people read or scan their mail; 59% say that they look forward to receiving it. That’s good news for you and your pool service because your message will probably be well-received in most homes.

Pool Service Marketing Tip 2: Speak Directly to Customers

Pug Postcard for variable data printing personalized for pool party webThere’s a reason why major online brands present browsers with a personalized experience – it’s because they get better responses. And, a 2020 Forbes article tells us why – shoppers prefer personalized experiences.

If it’s true online, wouldn’t it be true for postcards received in their mailbox? Using a customer’s name tells them that they are important to you and can be a door into their world.

Today, the marketing pool services business can personalize every aspect of a postcard – the recipient’s name, the offer, the call-to-action without emptying the piggy bank. Personalization, also called variable data printing, is within reach thanks to digital technology.

Pool Service Marketing Tip 3: Target Best Customers

If you’ve been in business for a while, you know the characteristics of customers who get the high-cost services and stay with you long-term. They probably live in a particular neighborhood, are of a particular age, have kids, and have a college degree.

Compiling a mail list of potential best customers to receive your swimming pool postcards offers the best chance of success.

Reach out to new homeowners. Since they’ve recently moved to the area, they’ll be looking for local service providers – including pool professionals! Remember to include a new mover special to attract their business.

Sure, you could send a postcard to your entire service area, but why not save some budget to do multiple mailings? Remember – you want to target your best new customers, stay in their sights and that means multiple exposures to your service and superpower.

Take Your Pool Service Marketing to the Next Level

If you want to stand out in a crowded mailbox, a professionally designed postcard is a must. The design and offer should be so compelling that the recipient wants to give it an honorary spot in the kitchen or office.

pool service man cleaning pool webAdditionally, mailing list professionals can help you create ideal lists to reach the customers you want. Don’t waste time and cash by using a scattershot approach to pool service marketing – if you want results, get experienced pros.

One Stop Mail has worked with business owners to reach their sales goals through direct mail marketing. They’re mail list experts with professional graphic design services on-site.

For 15+ years, they’ve offered exceptional printing and fulfillment services, and have created direct mail campaigns for business customers of all sizes. They can recommend the type and frequency of mailings to help you meet your goals.

Want more tips to help you reach your business goals? Check out these direct mail resources.

Holly Emerson One Stop Mail Staff


To get a quote on your next pool service marketing project, contact us or call (602) 233–3003.

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. 

targeted direct mail campaign

Personalize Your Direct Mail Campaign Without Crossing the Line

One of the most contentious issues in marketing today is the issue of privacy, especially in regards to data-gathering.  A recent Pew Poll showed significant across-the-board concerns about the amount of private information that’s getting into the hands of business, and this is undoubtedly affecting customers’ attitudes towards companies and targeted direct mail campaigns.
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Portfolio Sample of Direct Mail Marketing Postcard from One Stop Mail for Dobson Academy with dolphin and small child with glasses and book

Variable Data Printing VDP Brings The Best Of Both Worlds To Direct Mail Marketing

Even though your direct mail marketing campaign may be offline, you can still benefit from the personalization of online marketing! After all, online shoppers and those who see most of their ads online are becoming spoiled. Nearly all the ads they see are custom-tailored for them, either in terms of the product offered, or openly using elements of their personal information to craft a pitch designed for them specifically. While some buyers still find this approach “creepy,” on the whole most consumers seem to appreciate the customization. You can achieve the same level of customization in direct mail marketing with  variable data printing VDP.

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Plan_Ahead_for_Direct_Mail_Campaigns

Plan Ahead Before Using a Variable Data Printing Process!

The variable data printing process is revolutionizing direct-mail marketing, and allows you to make “snail mail” that’s as personalized and engaging as email… but with much higher response rates than email.  It’s a best-of-both-worlds solution that demonstrates direct mail is still far from dead.

That said, there are also significant issues to consider when deploying variable data printing, from both a cost standpoint as well as its impact on the recipient.  Variable data can also be misused, or used poorly, so good planning is essential.

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