Try Direct Mail

[MichaelM]

I have had good luck with direct mail in the past. I typically book around 10 jobs per mailing which is 2000 postcards. Some months more, some less. This did take time though, the first few mailings didn't produce much. In total i've sent out 7 mailings over about an 18 month period.



The list I used I made myself. On my slow/off days I would drive around and grab street addresses from the neighborhoods I wanted to target and mailed them to "Our Valued Customer" at that address. I used postcards that I designed from a template on Vistaprint.com, glossy front with pre printed return address on the back. I think total cost is around $700 per mailing the way I did it. Not a bad way to go considering price. I've even had customers come to me long after I stopped the program telling me they used to receive the mailings and that's why they came. I'll look to start-up again this coming spring.

 

[mrgoochio]

Anyone ever try door-to-door advertising in person? Seems pretty tedious and may not get to speak to the correct person.. I personally hate it when people come to my house trying to sell something but I wonder if it works?

 

[Holden_C04]

Anyone ever try door-to-door advertising in person? Seems pretty tedious and may not get to speak to the correct person.. I personally hate it when people come to my house trying to sell something but I wonder if it works?

I've considered this actually. Given it quite a bit of thought. Never pulled the trigger, though.

 

[Barry Theal]

Check out ... PostcardPower - Postcard Marketing. Write. Design. Print. Mail. . You could spend all day perusing similar sites. It appears that the $1 per postcard estimate, including design, two-sided printing and first class mailing, is high. Adding the cost of the targeted lead list, described in the first post, should still keep you under $1.



Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

lol just looked at the website there office is about 7 miles from my house now thats cool!!!

 

[brwill2005]

Just mailed for the third time. Got a call, but no work yet. I am thinking it is just poor timing with the economic situation.

 

[MichaelM]

Do you use expiration dates on the mailings? If so how far out do you go? Do you use discount offers on the mailings?



For mine I usually put an expiration date on for 6-8 weeks out from the mail date and usually a 10% discount on something.

 

[brwill2005]

No expiration and no discount. I may have to try that next time around if this campaign does not work. I just think it is just very bad timing.

 

[MichaelM]

That is one of the down sides to direct mail. If you have no call to action you are relying on timing and mood to get them to move. If the mailings are delivered on a snow or rain day your chances of action are much less then if they are delivered on a sunny one. The other issue you run into w/o an offer or expiration date is shelf life. Most people don't keep advertisements sitting around there house. Most likely they'll just glance at it and throw it away. The offer & date will tend to make a willing buyer hold on to it and in a sense increase your exposure.



I think they are good brand reinforcement regardless but w/o an offer or call to action you may not see a result for some time.

 

[brwill2005]

All good points. With this list, I am targeting the people who truly care about their cars and have the income to have them detailed regularly. I am not really looking for impulse buyers. I get those with my direct mail coupons which go out to 30,000 local homes. The coupons do offer discounts on my services. This list, which I am mailing a 'very nice' postcard to is only 500 people. The goal is make them aware of my services and build a long term relationship. I am going to mail a few more times in the early spring, and make some changes if it does not produce some business.