Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Everything marketing program (direct mail, TV ad, trade show etc.) has a certain response rate it could get - and the majority of those people exposed to the program will not respond. So there is always ones that will be wasted.

The trick is to make an effective piece, which takes a bit of thinking. Target who you mail it to, have content that captures their interest and desire, etc. This will reduce the number that are thrown away.

But in the end, a good piece will still likely only get a response rate in the single digits. But considering a post card costs less than a $1 each to print and mail, you can afford to waste quite a few for each sale you get.

Think of the money as an investment, not as a waste. What's the lifetime value of a new customer for you? How much are you willing to invest to get a new customer? Take that budget, and create an effective marketing plan to find them. It could be direct mail. It could be posters. It could be articles placed in local media. It could be sponsorships. It all depends upon your target market and your budget.

Mailing have a very low response rate. I have a friend that is a builder and helped him with a mailing. We sent a mailing to a neighborhood that he recently finished a project. This postcard included a testimonial from the homeowner of the recently finished project along with a photo of the finished work. I believe this greatly increased the response rate.

Response rate in your industry is kind of hard to measure in the short term as someone might not be ready to pursue a project when they hear from you but may contact you significantly later.

Our reasoning to include a recent client is that people that received our mailing would probably throw out our card, but would remember that Mrs. Smith had work done and might ask "What was the name of the builder that helped you last year". I guess we thought neighbors would remember Mrs. Smith long after they tossed our mailing.

Hope this helps,
Mike

I would mail a little inexpensive item (in addition to your postcard) that has a long shelf life.

For instance, photo magnet for the refrigerator, jar opener, chip clip, etc...any kitchen item stays around forever. Tape measures may also be a good idea since you do remodeling...

I have access to thousands of such items for any budget. You can contact me directly at [Email address deleted by staff]

I love to brainstorm!

All best,
Maria Vick

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