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Smart Budget-Cutting Tactics for Direct Mail
 Someone once said, “In good times, you should advertise. In difficult times, you MUST advertise.” That’s as true today as it ever was.
While many businesses are cutting back on their direct mail, smart businesses know that is a losing strategy. Mailing less isn’t the answer. The answer is to mail smarter. By using a few simple tactics, you can continue to mail while reducing your costs.
One way to cut costs is to turn your direct mail package into a self-mailer. As a rule, envelope packages get a better response than self-mailers. However, it’s not just the response that counts. A self-mailer can sometimes reduce your mailing cost enough so that, even with less response, your overall profit is greater. And, occasionally, your response may actually be higher since self-mailers naturally appear more urgent.
To make a self-mailer work, include a strong headline, layout your copy in easy-to-read sections, use subheads to break up the copy, and present a clear offer. Also, be sure to give recipients an easy way to respond with a toll-free number or an attached reply card. Remember, a self-mailer is a quickread version of a direct mail package. It’s not a corporate brochure.
You should also test smaller formats to reduce costs. Invitations and fliers are just two less expensive ways to deliver a targeted message. For example, you could send an invitation to invite prospects to a special demonstration of a new product or service. A flier is generally just a single sheet of paper that is folded and tabbed. Don’t let the simplicity fool you. Fliers can be highly effective, especially for timely news, such as a sale or inventory- reduction offer.
There are also ways to create economical direct mail by recycling existing advertising. Do you have a successful print ad? Why not reprint the ad and mail it to your list? Include a letter that says something like, “We wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this exciting news.” Another way to reuse print ads is to mail them with a sticky note attached that reads, “I thought you’d find this interesting.”
And don’t forget postcards. This humble direct mail format is popular now because of its simplicity. They’re especially good for making offers to existing customers, generating phone calls or Web site traffic, and for repeated contacts with the same mailing list. Many businesses create a series of postcards, each with a similar look but a different message. This is a good way to build recognition and trust at a fraction of the cost of other media.
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