3 Simple Tips to Save Money on Direct Marketing

In the uncertain times that we find ourselves in, many companies have asked us the best way to save money on marketing their business. It’s the uncertainty that makes it difficult to manage your business and know if your direct mail marketing efforts are paying off. So, in the face of adversity, here are three money-saving tips that have withstood the test of time.

Lower the Cost per Piece by Purchasing Credits in Bulk

Traditionally, large companies have benefited from sending out thousands of pieces of mail at the same time, so they get a discount for buying bulk. Smaller companies are at a disadvantage.

But today, technology is leveling the playing field with direct mail automation platforms. Now small companies can get similar savings on their direct mail by purchasing bulk credits that they can use over time.

All you need to do is a little planning. You can cut down on costs by reducing the number of creative mail formats you use. Instead, use a couple of well-optimized formats. For instance, you might find that a large postcard performs better than small postcards and also your letter packages.

Now both large and small security integrators can benefit from reducing the costs associated with direct mailing by buying credits in bulk.

Focus on Growing Your Own Mailing List

Many new companies start out renting outside mailing lists. But as your company grows, you can build your own mailing list by creating a database of all the responses you receive from your direct mailings.

Over time, the cost of renting a list can be expensive while using your own list is free. It’s okay to start off with a rented list, but just use it to get your own marketing database working. If you have a good offer that commands a response from your potential clients, you’re good to go. It can be a guide or coupon; just make sure it’s a strong offer.

If you’re an established business, then you should start creating your own mailing list as soon as possible.

Make Sure Not to Send Direct Mail to Invalid Addresses

It’s obvious that any undeliverable mail won’t get your business results. So, go through your list carefully and get rid of the undeliverable addresses. The more often you do this, the better results you’ll get.

The more direct mail pieces that get delivered to the correct address, the better your marketing results will be. Incorrect mailing address wastes a lot of money.

So, how do you clean up your mailing list? You can do it the hard way, and that’s waiting until the post office returns your mailers so you can update your database. But that way is time-consuming.

Today, many mail automation platforms automatically record the post office’s return to sender scans and updates them in your list as “invalid.” Here are a few ways that contemporary mail automation tools can save you money by the elimination of those direct mail marketing campaigns:

Run all your mail through the USPS CASS and NCOA databases
Get rid of invalid state codes, zip codes, and addresses
Mark “forwarded” and “return to sender” as invalid for future mailings

If you continue to clean up your mailing list and focus on creating a list of your own, the savings add up over time. A valid mailing list allows you to spend less time on direct mailing while achieving the same results.

To turn the savings up another notch, you can refine and segment your messaging so that it’s more cost-effective. As you continue to test your offers you can focus on a message that is more specific and aligns with your customers.

You can refine your message and segment your mailing lists by their preferences so that customers receive offers unique to their needs. It will increase the responses to your direct mailings. These are just three helpful tips that can save you a lot of money over time. Apply these tips and reduce the cost of your direct mail campaigns, and you’ll increase your responses as well as your income.

About AlarmBrand

We create websites and media for the electronic security industry that communicate your story, resonate with your audience, and generate revenue. Since 2009, brands that you know and trust have leveraged our digital marketing expertise to grow their businesses, including SDM 100, SDI Fast 50, monitoring centers, technology providers, professional corporations, and security SMB’s across the USA.