Is direct mail part of your camp’s marketing strategy? It’s a big part of mine. Direct mail can pay off HUGE when done the right way. It can also be costly if you don’t do it right.
You’ve got printing and postage costs to contend with. You’ve got the time and money involved with creating your mailer in the first place. You need to buy a mailing list (unless you’re mailing to your in house/current list). Then you gotta figure out how to cut through the clutter of all the other mail your prospect gets so yours stands out from the crowd.
Here’s one thing about direct mail: repetition counts. Your should send out your stuff on a regular basis — month after month if possible — to help your prospect to warm up to your offer and gain trust in you.
(And here’s a related tip: You’re much more likely to have much better results sending your mailer to 1,000 people three times in a row than to 3,000 people just one time.)
Here’s a few more tips I’ve learned that have helped improve our direct mail response rate at Aloha Beach Camp in the past
- Make a clear, concise, irresistible offer
- Highlight the benefits of your camp and your offer, not just the features
- Use pictures and color
- Ask an objective third party to proofread and review your mailing piece before you send it
- Consider sending postcards rather than larger, more expensive envelopes and mailing pieces
- Make your headline stand out
- If you’re using an envelope, put your offer or headline on the outside
- Offer a discount or similar incentive to encourage people to respond right away
- Include testimonials from other camp families
- Don’t worry about sending the same piece over and over; actually, that’s a GOOD idea!
These are just a few thoughts that popped into my head tonight. If you have others, I hope you’ll share them. Meanwhile, I will post more direct marketing tips in the future.
marketing with postcards remains very effective as a promotional campaign. You can captivate the interest of your prospects if you make your postcards attractive with strong headline and stunning design.