Direct mailings...

[ChristopherCoy]

How do you obtain a list of addresses for direct mailings?

[miffed67]

There are several companies who sell demographic information. Two that Collin County uses are ESRI, and Geolytics. We have a GIS (mapping) department, so the information they sell is kind of geared toward that, but hopefully it will give you a starting place.

[ChristopherCoy]

Thanks! But at $2,695 bucks for the software, I'm afraid direct mailings aren't an option for me.

[miffed67]

No, don't get me wrong...I meant those just as a starting point. They are a little pricey in the software dept, but Geolytics sells data CDs, too. I have no idea what they cost, as far as I know, we haven't purchased any in a couple of years. Try this page: US Census Estimates, Projections. That's marketing data. You can also try a web search for demographic information or mailing lists.

Oh! While I'm thinking about it....the US Census Bureau probably has a lot of this information at little or no cost. Of course, it'll be a lot harder and more time consuming to wade through all of the reports and crap you don't need and don't care about, but it'd be cheap!

[ChristopherCoy]

I just found a website called directmail.com where you can choose all of your demographics. I chose a zip code + 10 mile radius, homeowner, pet owner, average income of 50k to 200K, single family homes with kids, college degreed owners, and best deliverability, and came up with over 10 thousand leads. That was $800 for the list of addressed, but if you slim it down to 500 or so, its only about $50!

Google is wonderful.....

Now I wonder how effective this sort of advertising is...

[miffed67]

I knew there had to be an easier way! That's a job hazard for me.....always thinking of the most roundabout way to get somewhere! :)

Direct mail campaigns are supposed to be very effective, but you'll have to be unique to stand out. I'm sure you know how much junk mail people get these days.

[toverman]

The general "rule" (that is repeated often) is that it takes three direct mail pieces for one particular promotion/business to get attention and responses. I don't know for sure if that's the case, but planning to send one and be done – with all the junk mail out there – might not be worth it.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by toverman

The general "rule" (that is repeated often) is that it takes three direct mail pieces for one particular promotion/business to get attention and responses. I don't know for sure if that's the case, but planning to send one and be done – with all the junk mail out there – might not be worth it.

Whats the rule say about the frequency? Three mailings in a week/month?

Thats kinda like radio advertising. A person has to hear a phone number three times before they actually HEAR it.

[toverman]

I'm not sure about the frequency. If you are touting a specific promotion with a beginning and end (which I would recommend some call to action to let people know they need to respond NOW rather than two years from now), can't imagine wanting to spread it out too far. First mailing introduces yourself and your offer. Second one reminds them and maybe offers a bonus if they respond by such-and-such a time. Third one ramps up the "limited time" aspect.

[zebulus]

Do puppies have mail boxes?

Sorry, I couldnt help myself.

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by ChristopherCoy

Whats the rule say about the frequency? Three mailings in a week/month?

Thats kinda like radio advertising. A person has to hear a phone number three times before they actually HEAR it.

Look at Marathon Press. Last time I was on their site, they had lots of useful info specific to photography, as well as product.

Im not sure if it was them or a college class I took where I learned this. My brain is telling me that successful mailings are ones that are done with consistency and that you need to repeat mail to get them to act. Even with limited time promos. Someone needs to see your brand 3 times for recognition, another 3 times for retention, and another 3 times for recall. With mailings, I have the number 13-14 mailings for an effective campaign floating in my head. Odds are it was tied to the recognition, recall, retention thing.

Response rate on mailings are usually 1% of your list. If you suck it up, it'll be lower. If you do really well, you might grab 2-3%.

[toverman]

Originally Posted by zebulus

Do puppies have mail boxes?

Sorry, I couldnt help myself.

If they do, they usually end up chasing the postal carrier away before they receive anything.

[J Eddington]

Holly is spot on with her info. In a prior life in Cincinnati, we did a 5 year plan on marketing. IN that time period we did 4 cold mailing lists. (Cold, meaning that they had not requested any information) we did our 11 mailings to each list we purchased, mailed 3-5 weeks apart. We did not start getting responses until they had received about 5-7 mailings. We got 3.8% response, BUT our mailings were KICK ASS. We spent about $10,000 to have them designed! Each was a call to action. Without a call to action you may get no responses. We went from not being known in the market to the top 10 in Cincinnati. The mailings were only part of the plan.

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by toverman

If they do, they usually end up chasing the postal carrier away before they receive anything.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by zebulus

Do puppies have mail boxes?

Sorry, I couldnt help myself.

Most people like yourself can't.

ChristopherCoy added 4 Minutes and 23 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Originally Posted by J Eddington

We got 3.8% response, BUT our mailings were KICK ASS. We spent about $10,000 to have them designed! Each was a call to action.

I just dont know how people do it. A grand for this, ten grand for that, seven grand for this.... it seems like an insurmountable task just to get going.