Running a small business is a lot of work. From managing the day-to-day operations to managing staff, the ‘to-do’ list is always growing. After all your day-to-day efforts, figuring out how to best grow your business can often be an afterthought, but businesses of all sizes rely on gaining new customers and encouraging existing customers to return. Driving traffic and sales is key to succeeding, but improving your marketing game doesn’t have to be expensive or overwhelming.
Fortunately, creating a Direct Mail campaign is a great way to reach both new and existing customers. Studies have shown Direct Mail response rates are 5 to 9 times higher than any other advertising channel. Additionally, 54% of consumers say they want Direct Mail from brands that interest them.1
Direct Mail is an investment in your business, and there are some important things to keep in mind to make sure that investment pays off:
Local First
Depending on the type of business you run, looking for customers locally can be a great place to start. Luckily, Canada Post makes it easy to target these prospects by targeting a radius around your business. For most service-based businesses a 10km radius around your business is a good place to start.
Give them a reason to come in
An incentive or coupon is an excellent way to help bring customers to your location, and build your small business with Direct Mail. Ideally, you want to just get them through the doors. If a customer has a positive experience, it often leads to repeat business (and referrals!).
Integrating your Direct Mail efforts along with your other marketing channels will help reinforce your brand message and maintain consistency across your marketing. We often encounter businesses that are comfortable sticking with just one marketing medium. It is crucial to note that the best results come from companies that use multiple: print AND digital, instead of just one OR the other.
Reward Loyalty
61% of small businesses report that more than half of their revenue comes from repeat customers rather than new ones.2
That’s why its so important to not just reach out to new customers, but to check in regularly with existing ones. Whenever possible, try to collect information on existing customers so you can contact them personally later. Building a well-maintained contact list will allow you to stay in touch with your regular customers.
If your contact list is large enough (minimum 100 addresses), you can take advantage of Canada Post’s Personalized Mail service to save on postage costs – every penny helps, and this discount is a substantial one!
Staying in contact with existing customers while marketing to new prospects in your area is the best way to start cost effectively building your business. And while it does take some effort, you can always lean on the experts to do the heavy lifting. At Classic Impressions, building these types of campaigns is exactly what we do. So, give us a call and don’t let uncertainty stop you from building your small business with Direct Mail.
1 https://www.fundera.com/resources/direct-mail-statistics
2 https://blog.fivestars.com/26-statistics-that-prove-repeat-business-is-where-its-at
