The Ten Thousand Dollar Postcard

I still look forward to getting mail, cards, and goodies through the good ole fashion US Mail. There is a child-like excitement about holding, opening, and reading mail. AND in the day and age of email onslaught and Viagra spamming (it really is amazing how many of these still exist), direct mail can make you pay attention.

About a year ago I had just moved. I kept thinking we need to get some things organized … but I kept putting it off.

Boom — the mail arrives on a Wednesday and in it is this postcard. Why did it get my attention?

I was in pain. I needed help and there it was in front of me. I went on to call this organizer and spent thousands of dollars with her. She was wonderful and efficient. She, in turn, joined my 10k program to build a new business of her own and we developed a wonderful relationship.

THAT direct mail postcard generated almost $20,000.

Marketing Sherpa recently released a chart that shows that direct mail is still considered an important part of any B2B marketing campaign. It may not have the “flash” of the latest social media trend, but it works.

So … think about shaking thing up a bit and send some direct mail. As much as I love Jaime, her postcard wasn’t that great, but it still worked. Here are some tips to make yours super effective.

1. Keep the message simple.
   One pain solving statement like: Are the boxes still not unpacked? or Still can’t fit in your jeans? or Not enough clients to keep the doors open?
2. Give a specific call to action.
   Do not tell the reader ten different steps to take or give options. Make it like a road map and very directional. Examples: For a free consultation ($400 value) before January 1st call: or Email X in the next 7 days and receive a free gift of X
3. Make it pop!
   Once I put a photo of myself holding a roll of toilet paper. Dan Kennedy put himself in a vintage cartoon car or consider a cool piece of art- anything that pops and makes you stand out and get attention.
4. A few mailers are better than one.
   Consider following up and have a series of mailers as opposed to just one hit.
5. Get diverse and creative.
   Think packages, postcards, envelopes, odd size postcards, or any other variation. Mix it up to get more attention and get more opens.

People ask me all the time … Which marketing methods work?

Answer: ALL if done well.

Combine direct mail with email marketing with video with social media….make it all a strong strategy and systematic. Lots of different touches always work!