Click2Mail is an online mailing service. You can design and send - or upload your own and send - letters, postcards and booklets using their service. You can also upload your own mailing list (similar to a mail merge data source), or you can purchase mailing lists. Their prices are reasonable (I sent 86 postcards for $36), they work fast (2 days from upload to shipment) and are pretty easy to use. And it's all-inclusive: I gave them the document (and edited it myself), the mailing list, and wham! It's sent. Especially with letters (no stuffing or licking!), it's oh-so-convenient.
My one beef with them so far is that they don't have samples of their paper colors. So "Green #65" didn't mean anything to me, and I was afraid it'd be too dark. Of course, it was just the right type of bright green for a mailing, but still, I would have liked to have seen a sample rather than have to contact customer service. (If I completely missed this on their website somehow, let me know. I'm always looking for another way I have mortified myself.)
From the website, you get the feeling that anyone from an individual (like myself) to larger firms use Click2Mail for their marketing. Some people have complained of slow shipment from Click2Mail, and bad quality if you're using graphics. If you don't like Click2Mail, some alternatives out there are:
Vistaprint
Postcardmania
GotPrint
OvernightPrints
Now, if you're sitting there scratching your head wondering, why in the world would I NEED to send 50 (or 5000!) postcards, letters or booklets, here's the answer:
Cheap Marketing!
As annoying and tacky as it may be sometimes, you get results with direct mail. Typically, you can expect anywhere from a 3-6% response rate, meaning that 3-6% of the people who receive your mailing will respond to it. That may sound low. It is. Compared to the tried and true, old-fashioned marketing my Grandpa used, it is low.
My Grandpa used two main methods of advertising: 1) newspaper ads and 2) word of mouth referrals. In fact, his business grew into a business because of word of mouth, and it became somewhat of a staple in the area because of word of mouth as well.
Unless you have mass-appeal products (in my Grandpa's case, carpeting and, later, salons), the "shotgun" method of marketing that is newspaper ads might not be cost-effective or bring in as many quality leads (calls). I would like to hear marketing gurus talk about how effective word of mouth still is. But with niche products (which so many new, small businesses have), you might want to consider marketing to a niche audience.
Targeted marketing with direct mail is a great way to find potential customers for your unique product. The trick, obviously, is to find the list of these niche customers. You can buy mailing lists (as on Click2Mail or from any number of marketing companies). You can also find them yourself. Create a list of people you know who might be interested in your product, send them a letter and offer a small cash referral for another customer they bring to you. This direct mail/word of mouth hybrid might work out well.
I am NOT a marketing expert (I have other friends who are!). But I watched my Grandpa start and run two small businesses in his life. I'm hoping that by taking notes - even with my different goals - it might just give me a good place to start...
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