Are there any Consumer Marketing Professionals in the house?
Discussion
I'm trying a direct mail campaign to upmarket residential postcodes. I'm quite experienced at B2B marketing but new to marketing to residential - particularly direct mail activities.
I was wondering whether somebody might like to comment briefly on the style and content of my proposed letter and its targeting. It would be very much appreciated.
Thanks
"Reg" (a.k.a. Ken)
I was wondering whether somebody might like to comment briefly on the style and content of my proposed letter and its targeting. It would be very much appreciated.
Thanks
"Reg" (a.k.a. Ken)
I would look at either using inserts into a decent publication, i have used cheshire life magazine ( Ardent publications i believe) as they have a good demographic and can provide you with a press pack which clearly shows the type and location in % terms of where their magazine is distributed.
You can also contact the royal mail and actually buy sections of what ever post codes you want, and they will deliver your mail or add to those post codes, but this can be quite expensive.
The final option and probably cheapest is printing whatever it is you want , and paying a load of students or migrant workers to drop door to door in whatever area you choose, hope this helps a little
You can also contact the royal mail and actually buy sections of what ever post codes you want, and they will deliver your mail or add to those post codes, but this can be quite expensive.
The final option and probably cheapest is printing whatever it is you want , and paying a load of students or migrant workers to drop door to door in whatever area you choose, hope this helps a little
Hi,
Why are you going to snail mail them (with associated costs) when you can email them, get an instant response, know who they are, what they did and why?
I can help with either the actual service or just advice to a fellow PHer + demographically profiled data rental (MPS & TPS).
Best,
Don
Why are you going to snail mail them (with associated costs) when you can email them, get an instant response, know who they are, what they did and why?
I can help with either the actual service or just advice to a fellow PHer + demographically profiled data rental (MPS & TPS).
Best,
Don
Edited by DonnyMac on Tuesday 7th October 17:58
Problem with getting casual workers to deliver it is that you can be fairly certain at least 20% will be dumped. Also, most direct mail has a response rate well below 2%. Some do get a better rate but it is highly unusual. My data is a bit out of date but I would surprised if it has changed much. Worth factoring that into the cost. There are some other ways of doing it as well. Local papers will add flyers into the paper and distribute it. You can go solus (you have the only flyer in the paper) or pay less and be one of a few. I may be wrong but they did not used to deliver to specific post codes, just general areas based on their distribution routes. I think the response is a little lower as well but massively cheaper than single distribution so the sums may work better.
HTH
HTH
DonnyMac said:
Hi,
Why are you going to snail mail them (with associated costs) when you can email them, get an instant response, know who they are, what they did and why?
If you have not had previous contact with a consumer then it is a legal grey area to send out unsolicited marketing emails. The DTI recommends against it via their opt-in guidelines. I know a couple of companies that have been in a bit of bother by blasting unknown individuals with marketing emails.Why are you going to snail mail them (with associated costs) when you can email them, get an instant response, know who they are, what they did and why?
If you are doing things by postcode then you can have promotional materials door dropped either by a company or the Royal Mail. Can be a lot cheaper than mailing but doesn't lend itself to personalisation as you'd have to go down the 'dear homeowner' route.
Some good advise above, Especially the email & MPS which if it is completely cold data (which it sounds like it is) it is a bit dodgey to just email them out of the blue, add to that, that unless you are careful with content a lot will simply end up in spam filters anyway. Mps is not hugely costly (or shouldn't be!) and covers your backside from a hefty fine if someone does happen to complain.
Regarding mailing its not unheard of to get great results from direct mail, infact we recently did a mailing for one client to their high value contacts that generated 89k of revenue!! Now this is obviously not the same as what you are aiming for as they were warm contacts and clients so the response rate was expected to be good from an extremely well know demographic.
What I am getting at is that you should consider contacting them on more than one occasion if it is a completely cold list. It is generally considered that it can take up to 6/7 contacts to get a success.
As mentioned above you could go down the door drop route but to be honest this is probably of little value unless you are willing to mail a high number of packs to allow coverage of a complete area or you know a particular postcode is likely to reap good results as it is targeted on a postcode basis and is then delivered by the postie. There is also strict time scales on door drops as to when they need to be with royal mail, and can sometimes be booked up well in advance.
As for mailing simple direct mail there are lots of options you can look at which can be used to try and boost response rate however these are often driven by volume, cost etc.
Feel free to email me if you want any more details through my profile.
There is also a very basic walk through of direct mail on our site at http://www.amethystmailing.co.uk/DMbasics.html which if you have not done any direct mail before may be worth a read.
Glyn
Regarding mailing its not unheard of to get great results from direct mail, infact we recently did a mailing for one client to their high value contacts that generated 89k of revenue!! Now this is obviously not the same as what you are aiming for as they were warm contacts and clients so the response rate was expected to be good from an extremely well know demographic.
What I am getting at is that you should consider contacting them on more than one occasion if it is a completely cold list. It is generally considered that it can take up to 6/7 contacts to get a success.
As mentioned above you could go down the door drop route but to be honest this is probably of little value unless you are willing to mail a high number of packs to allow coverage of a complete area or you know a particular postcode is likely to reap good results as it is targeted on a postcode basis and is then delivered by the postie. There is also strict time scales on door drops as to when they need to be with royal mail, and can sometimes be booked up well in advance.
As for mailing simple direct mail there are lots of options you can look at which can be used to try and boost response rate however these are often driven by volume, cost etc.
Feel free to email me if you want any more details through my profile.
There is also a very basic walk through of direct mail on our site at http://www.amethystmailing.co.uk/DMbasics.html which if you have not done any direct mail before may be worth a read.
Glyn
Hi Chap,
All data rented is run past MPS & TPS before being supplied. All data consumer or otherwise is opt-in for use by 'carefully selected third parties' - i.e. you, as long as the data is profiled correctly - all DPA compliant.
Email outstrips direct mail in response and conversion by several hundred percent also being tremendously cheaper thus attracting seriously increased ROI.
DM used to mean direct mail, it now means Direct Marketing, as direct mail is now dieing as a marketing medium for the reasons I've outlined.
On the expensive side, you can communicate with a prospect weekly for 52pence per year, instantaneously, behaviour & conversion goals tracked - how much is one mailing piece?
Best,
Don
All data rented is run past MPS & TPS before being supplied. All data consumer or otherwise is opt-in for use by 'carefully selected third parties' - i.e. you, as long as the data is profiled correctly - all DPA compliant.
Email outstrips direct mail in response and conversion by several hundred percent also being tremendously cheaper thus attracting seriously increased ROI.
DM used to mean direct mail, it now means Direct Marketing, as direct mail is now dieing as a marketing medium for the reasons I've outlined.
On the expensive side, you can communicate with a prospect weekly for 52pence per year, instantaneously, behaviour & conversion goals tracked - how much is one mailing piece?
Best,
Don
DonnyMac
I have to disagree with your point of direct mail dieing, if this was the case then why has activity across all of our clients over the past 3 years showed an increase every year with consistent response rates?
In real terms as I said it is not a case of either or but how can you put both together to offer a full marketing strategy. As an example of this email broadcasting is much more suited to updates or newsletters that are short and concise and as such more targeted towards warm contacts on a regular basis. Yes if the data is right and you are marketing to a specific profiled target audience that want your product or service then this can work well too for cold contacts. As you said an opt in list is fine to use on a cold basis as they have clearly already show an interest in what is being offered by the very fact that they have opted in and as such could be considered warm anyway.
Direct Mail on the other hand lends its self towards cold lists as well as warm slightly more. How often have you received something through the post and thought oh I will flick through that later and put it aside? Have you ever done that with an email?
Try not to see them as either or and think of trying to use both to open the door to what you want to achieve.
If cost is the be all and end all and you can only afford to try one then you pays your money and takes your chance both can work and both can fail.
Glyn
I have to disagree with your point of direct mail dieing, if this was the case then why has activity across all of our clients over the past 3 years showed an increase every year with consistent response rates?
In real terms as I said it is not a case of either or but how can you put both together to offer a full marketing strategy. As an example of this email broadcasting is much more suited to updates or newsletters that are short and concise and as such more targeted towards warm contacts on a regular basis. Yes if the data is right and you are marketing to a specific profiled target audience that want your product or service then this can work well too for cold contacts. As you said an opt in list is fine to use on a cold basis as they have clearly already show an interest in what is being offered by the very fact that they have opted in and as such could be considered warm anyway.
Direct Mail on the other hand lends its self towards cold lists as well as warm slightly more. How often have you received something through the post and thought oh I will flick through that later and put it aside? Have you ever done that with an email?
Try not to see them as either or and think of trying to use both to open the door to what you want to achieve.
If cost is the be all and end all and you can only afford to try one then you pays your money and takes your chance both can work and both can fail.
Glyn
BrandRepublic.com said:
Nielsen reports 10% drop in direct mail volumes
24-Sep-07, 15:53
LONDON - Mailing volumes dropped 10% as cheaper digital channels grew and size-based postal charges took effect, but it's not all bad news: volumes can afford to be down as targeting improves The decline in the use of direct mail that began in 2004 is gathering pace. Exclusive research by Nielsen Media Research (NMR) for Marketing reveals that expenditure on direct mail fell by 10% in the year to June compared with a 6% drop the previous year.
The survey of 10,000 consumers, who forward their direct mail to NMR each month, shows total spend fell to £1.68m from £1.87m, with the top-spending sectors, finance and mail-order, cutting back by 6.5% and 12% respectively. Transport and travel firms reduced their activity by 42% and pharmaceutical companies by 36%.
This was over a year ago, 6% decline 2006, 10% decline 2007 - 2008?24-Sep-07, 15:53
LONDON - Mailing volumes dropped 10% as cheaper digital channels grew and size-based postal charges took effect, but it's not all bad news: volumes can afford to be down as targeting improves The decline in the use of direct mail that began in 2004 is gathering pace. Exclusive research by Nielsen Media Research (NMR) for Marketing reveals that expenditure on direct mail fell by 10% in the year to June compared with a 6% drop the previous year.
The survey of 10,000 consumers, who forward their direct mail to NMR each month, shows total spend fell to £1.68m from £1.87m, with the top-spending sectors, finance and mail-order, cutting back by 6.5% and 12% respectively. Transport and travel firms reduced their activity by 42% and pharmaceutical companies by 36%.
dmnews.com said:
“The Internet is taking a big chunk of the [paper industry's] business,” said Brian McClay, principal at TerraChoice Market Services Inc., which publishes an industry newsletter that tracks pulp and paper volumes around the world. Specifically, McClay points to the move of classified advertising to the Internet and a growing number of consumers signing up for electronic statements.
The February 2008 issue of MarketPulp Monthly reports that FSI volumes were 5% lower in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to the previous year while mail volume was down 3%. Overall demand is expected to drop an additional 5% in 2008 and, as demand diminishes, paper mills are responding by reducing their capacity.
By reducing capacity, however, prices are likely to rise, causing marketers to reconsider their printing volumes once again, according to Lamparter.
Interactive Prospect Targeting (listed company) who provided data to the Direct Mail industry just went bust because a lack of demand.The February 2008 issue of MarketPulp Monthly reports that FSI volumes were 5% lower in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to the previous year while mail volume was down 3%. Overall demand is expected to drop an additional 5% in 2008 and, as demand diminishes, paper mills are responding by reducing their capacity.
By reducing capacity, however, prices are likely to rise, causing marketers to reconsider their printing volumes once again, according to Lamparter.
It's over for direct mail, which is different to triggered mailing pieces btw.
HTH.
both of those stats are affected hugely by the financial sector which is massive and obviously going through huge problems at the moment and with online banking and such will have no other trend but downwards likewise with the home shopping sector with the use of the web the amount of catalogues etc will be hugely reduced.
Other sectors are flourishing such as the charity sector of which we have a number of large clients all of which are increasing their activity in marketing not just their direct mail activity (both warm and cold) but other activity also they have an intrinsic need to market so they simply cant stop and need to use all avenues to generate their donations.
I see you have no place in your mind for direct mail and that is your opinion and I respect that. Mine is that you really need to use all avenues you can and have a strategy for your marketing activity, if starting with an email campaign and then following up with a mailshot to those people who opened but did not click or a mailshot followed by a reminder mailing contacting people more than once is always going to give you a better shot at converting more of them to your goal.
Other sectors are flourishing such as the charity sector of which we have a number of large clients all of which are increasing their activity in marketing not just their direct mail activity (both warm and cold) but other activity also they have an intrinsic need to market so they simply cant stop and need to use all avenues to generate their donations.
I see you have no place in your mind for direct mail and that is your opinion and I respect that. Mine is that you really need to use all avenues you can and have a strategy for your marketing activity, if starting with an email campaign and then following up with a mailshot to those people who opened but did not click or a mailshot followed by a reminder mailing contacting people more than once is always going to give you a better shot at converting more of them to your goal.
splashout1 said:
I see you have no place in your mind for direct mail and that is your opinion and I respect that... if starting with an email campaign and then following up with a mailshot to those people who opened but did not click or a mailshot followed by a reminder mailing contacting people more than once is always going to give you a better shot at converting more of them to your goal.
Sorry chap, need to work on my diplomacy skills – always say it as I see it!But yes, you’re right on this; this is what I meant by triggered mailings, based against behaviour.
By saving a tremendous about of the budget by qualifying a list via email and acting on their behaviour it allows the client to send only 10% of the original mailing allowing a massive increase in the quality of the resulting triggered mailing piece due to the savings being put back into the unit cost of it.
We always recommend our big budget clients to have a three step approach to prospects, email, triggered mailing (on click through, not just opening), and telemarketing the same data.
Once converted, you can revert to email only (dependent on base).
Unfortunately, the charity sector are also going digital, I give regularly to two, both of which in the last 18 months have asked if I’d prefer to be contacted digitally.
The issues the old ‘DM’ industry is facing is that not only does digital allow you to communicate instantaneously, it’s cheaper (thus higher ROIs) you can track named individuals or groups (segmentation) and we’re green – not chopping down trees.
The latter, may have been the biggest nail in the coffin for ‘DM’ as every man and his dog are being brainwashed into green issues.
I’d be happy to have a chat with you about implementing our system for your clients so you can generate a revenue stream from this as well as your core business, so if your market moves in either direction in the short to mid term you’ll be covered.
Obviously not knowing your business model this is a bit of a guess, but I’d wager you’ll get more margin from email communication than ‘DM’ even though the unit cost will be far less.
Good ‘talking’ with you.
Best,
Don
Don,
See we think along the same lines anyway
. While I agree on the green issues two of our main charity clients are extremely green and we are currently in the process of producing approx 350,000 packs between them with everything on 100% post consumer waste products. I would certainly be willing to have a chat at some point about offering your product along with ours, as we do offer an email service and have done a couple although it is not something we are asked for a lot as most of our clients are fairly large and as such have their strategies set out and suppliers in place (not to say its not something to push at and try and win ourselves) and also as mentioned using your own servers is not the best idea.
Feel free to give me a bell on the work no 01903 700444 at some point when you have some spare time and talk me through how your system works. Could be a good relationship if we both have clients doing what the other offers
Just ask for Glyn.
See we think along the same lines anyway
. While I agree on the green issues two of our main charity clients are extremely green and we are currently in the process of producing approx 350,000 packs between them with everything on 100% post consumer waste products. I would certainly be willing to have a chat at some point about offering your product along with ours, as we do offer an email service and have done a couple although it is not something we are asked for a lot as most of our clients are fairly large and as such have their strategies set out and suppliers in place (not to say its not something to push at and try and win ourselves) and also as mentioned using your own servers is not the best idea.Feel free to give me a bell on the work no 01903 700444 at some point when you have some spare time and talk me through how your system works. Could be a good relationship if we both have clients doing what the other offers
Just ask for Glyn.Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff