{"id":54202,"date":"2018-05-04t10:00:05","date_gmt":"2018-05-04t14:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=54202"},"modified":"2018-05-10t08:50:07","modified_gmt":"2018-05-10t12:50:07","slug":"make-direct-mail-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2018\/05\/04\/make-direct-mail-work\/","title":{"rendered":"make direct mail work for you"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"woman<\/a>bonus: several sample letters.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

by sandi leyva<\/i>
\nthe complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

one of the first things a new business owner asks me about is direct mail. i don\u2019t know why so many people go there first, but they do.<\/p>\n

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twenty years ago, the response rate\u00a0for direct mail was pretty good. out of every 100 pieces you sent, you would get three responses back. it didn\u2019t matter how bad you were at direct mail.
\n
\ntoday, that\u2019s no longer true. if you do everything right (and there is a lot to get wrong along the way), your response rate\u00a0might be one in 1,000 pieces mailed.<\/p>\n

bottom line, using direct mail\u00a0to send to a list of people who don\u2019t know you at all is not a good idea. the reason is there\u2019s no implied trust. as a stranger, you are mailing a stranger a postcard. it probably won\u2019t get noticed. for small business, it\u2019s unlikely to pay back.<\/p>\n

but there are certain times when direct mail\u00a0will work. here are a few examples:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. for bookkeepers who send letters to cpa firms looking for clients. i\u2019ve seen this work, and i include a sample letter below.<\/li>\n
  2. for accountants looking for startups<\/li>\n
  3. mailing your own client and prospect list<\/li>\n
  4. sending a mailing after someone has opted in to your online request<\/li>\n
  5. using direct mail as one of many steps in a warm-up process<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    most common mistakes<\/h3>\n

    to save you some money, i\u2019ve listed some of the most common mistakes people make in direct mail\u00a0marketing:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. mailing only once. you should mail three times minimum, and your best response will start after five or six mailings.<\/li>\n
    2. using a generic list and mailing to everyone<\/li>\n
    3. not hiring a professional copywriter to write the letter or design the postcard<\/li>\n
    4. using a plain envelope that doesn\u2019t get opened<\/li>\n
    5. writing too much<\/li>\n
    6. not including a call to action<\/li>\n
    7. asking for the sale (instead, offer something free.)<\/li>\n
    8. sending it bulk mail<\/li>\n
    9. sending it too late (after the offer has expired or the event is over)<\/li>\n
    10. sending it to arrive at a time of the year when everyone is too busy<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      ok, so what should you do if you want to use direct mail?<\/p>\n

      your mailing list<\/h3>\n

      i recommend you mail to a very targeted list. here are some things that have worked for me in the past:<\/p>\n