Digital Library > Defining and Serving a Market > Direct mail advertising
“Is Direct Mail Right for You?”
The Connecticut-based firm made two fatal mistakes: saturating a broad market (assuming everyone has occasional back pain) and offering a tired product.
Before sinking money into a direct-mail campaign, make sure it’s suited to your product or service offerings.
Does your product:
- Fill a real need?
- Offer something unique?
- Offer a good value?
- Have a large market?
- Have broad appeal?
- Have a particularly strong attraction for smaller segments of your market?
- Offer something new or something potential buyers will perceive as new?
- Have enough unique selling features to make for interesting copy?
- Offer a measure of prestige just by owning it?
- Give you a true claim of exclusivity?
- Hold up when compared to the competition (if any)?
If you answer "no" to even two of these questions, you may not be ready — or right — for direct mail. Warning: Don’t talk yourself into "yes" answers. That kind of denial could cost you money.
Tip: If you are ready for direct mail, never attempt to create the package in-house unless you have proven results.
Scout out a professional creative team that specializes in direct mail — they know what works and whatdoesn’t.
Writer: LeAnn Zotta is a strategic-marketing consultant in Yarmouthport, Mass. A former vp/creative director at a major direct-mail firm, she has created more than 150 such campaigns.