Direct Marketing Information

So you have been writing mortgages like crazy now for the last few years. You have a pretty big database of customers and hopefully you have been getting and keeping full contact information for them.

An organized database is the first key to customer retention.

The next step is to put together a direct mail campaign to keep these customers thinking about you when they think about mortgages. It is often years between times when each customer needs a mortgage

professional, and it takes far less than that for them to forget your name. As well as fighting time, you are fighting indifference. Customers who get great service are often reluctant to pass that information along, while customers who feel they have gotten poor service will tell everyone. Most of the time good customers need to be reminded of their

experience. By following up with each customer on a regular basis you

will not only stay in the front of their mind but you will also start to

build a reputation as a solid and responsible business.

So how do you get started?

Below are a couple of the most frequently asked questions when starting a campaign to keep in touch with past clients.

What Type of Direct Mail Piece Works Best?

There is a great debate amongst Mortgage Professionals about what type of direct mail will work best for getting new business. Many swear by letters for their appearance of professionalism, while others like the low cost and high visibility of postcards. Overall, both seem to work adequately for bringing in new business. You just need to find which

works best for you personally.

For keeping in contact with past customers, however, the way to go is

postcards. This is due to the fact that if your customers are not currently looking for a mortgage for themselves, they are far less likely to take the time to open a letter. That causes most of your “keep

in touch” promo that is in envelopes to get thrown out before it ever gets read.

Since the goal is recognition and not direct action you only need to get

them to read the message. Postcards have the message visible when mailed, which means that while your customers are deciding what to read and what to throw out, they are already being exposed to your message.

How Often Should I Send Promo?

You will want to mail a piece to your database every 30-60 days. Any longer than that and they may have already forgotten you when their friends are looking for a mortgage. Since you will want to send promo out often, you will need to keep your costs down. With postcards there

are no envelope costs, no assembly costs and the postage is 30% less than letters. When using a mail house to send your postcards you can often get postage rates as low as 18¢ per piece.

What Should Be On My Brand Recognition Pieces?

There are some basic rules for the design of a brand recognition direct

mail piece.

Rule #1: Keep color consistent.

Many times people fall into the trap of changing the look of their promo

for the seasons or for the holidays. The thought is that people are thinking about Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day so they will respond better to promo with those colors. The truth is exactly opposite. Their senses are so flooded by those images that they actually start to skip

right over them. Pick a color for your company and stick with it. You will do much better in building recognition.

Rule #2: Make a logo and use it on every piece.

Having a clean, professional logo is best. It may be a little pricey to have designed but in the end it is well worth the money. Experienced designers can often charge up to $2000 for a corporate identity package

including logo, letterhead and business cards. If you aren’t looking to make that type of investment simply pick a type style for your company name and use it every time. Consistency is key because your logo is your main identification point.

Rule #3: Make it Informative.

Every piece should have something useful for your customers. Whether it is new information about the mortgage industry or even possible investment properties in their area, it can even be completely unrelated to the mortgage industry. A calendar or list of emergency numbers, even the old recipe card trick still works pretty well. Anything that is likely to be kept around will help to build recognition in the minds of your past customers.

The mortgage industry has experienced a huge amount of growth over the past few years. Unfortunately this growth cannot last forever. At some point it is going slow down and the only way to keep your income in the range that you have become accustomed to is to ensure that you retain as many past customers as you possibly can.

A direct mail campaign is the best way to do this, but remember, this type of program is a long term process. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t directly calculate the amount of money that you bring in right off the bat. What you are doing is burning your name into the minds of your customers. Eventually it will work out to you seeing less attrition and

far more referrals.

–About–

Joe Niewierski, the VP of Marketing & Promotion at PostcardMania, became a published writer after graduating with a BA in Advertising from the University of South Florida. Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she’s sharing her marketing secrets with others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at www.postcardmania.com

Source: ArticleTrader.com

1. Your Most Valuable Asset

A mailing list of valued customers is the single most important asset you have. Loyal customers will spend an average of five times more in your business than new customers. Plus it costs ten times more to acquire a new customer.

When choosing a mailing list, first identify your best customer. What is their age, income level, and geography?

Then identify your “perfect” customer. Select mailing lists which match your perfect customer profile.

If you’re selling business to business, select the type of business, number of employees and geography, then tailor your message to this audience.

2. The Three Most Effective Words

Copy is the persuasive argument that sells your product or service. Begin your copy with a strong headline that spells out the benefit of your product or service.

The three most effective words in direct mail are “you,” “free,” and “new.” Studies show that using these words in headlines can boost your response dramatically.

Letter copy should follow a simple formula that will help you organize your thoughts and make a convincing sales argument.

A. Attention: The headline must grab their attention and make them want to read further.

B. Interest: Grab their interest with a sub-headline that states your Unique Selling Proposition (what sets you apart from everyone else.)

C. Desire: Elicit desire by painting word pictures of your prospect using your product or service and enjoying its benefits. Give testimonials of customers who have benefited from what you offer. Tell stories of people who used your service despite their initial apprehension.

D. Close: Ask for the order. Make it convenient for them to respond. Give your prospects choices of how to get in touch with you. Use a P.S. at the end of the letter to pique their curiosity.

3. What’s In It For Me?

Your offer attracts people to your business or service. Direct mail will not work if you use it like a billboard. It is like saying, “SEE ME, I’M OVER HERE” at 60 m.p.h. In order for your direct mail to achieve measurable results you must have a compelling offer.

Your offer can include money, free gifts, guarantees, testimonials, sale events, coupons, gift certificates, sweepstakes, drawings and private sales.

Test different offers and see what works best for you.

When you’re marketing to a business, personalization is important. Make your outside envelope look like a personal business letter. Keep your copy to 1 or 2 pages and offer an incentive for responding quickly..

4. Experience Captivating Graphics

Designing a mail piece should accomplish 2 things. One is to get the attention of your reader. Two, is to visually clarify the written message you are trying to get across.

There are six elements that determine good direct mail design.

A. One visual element should dominate the page, whether it’s a photo, headline, cartoon or graphic.

B. Use only one or two typefaces. Stick with one or two families of type. Use one for the headlines and bolded sub sections and one for the body copy. The body copy should always be a serif typeface, it’s easier to read.

C. Use lots of white space when you want to make a lasting impression.

D. Make sure your text is easy to read. Don’t make your margins too wide or your columns too long. Space out the lines of your text so they are easy to read. Use bullets, bold, underlines and short paragraphs.

E. Display your logo and pertinent contact information.

5. Produce the Package

Have you ever read an ad or received a mailing without a phone number or address? Often people get so wrapped up in the copy they forget to call for action. Boldly feature your phone number, address, web site address, email address and fax. Make it easy for your prospects to contact you.

Your logo should visually express the essence of your company’s mission along with a positioning statement that sets you apart from your competition. Design a “risk-free” response certificate that clearly repeats your most valuable benefits and moves your reader to say “yes.”

6. Testing

The standard business-to-business mailing package includes an outside envelope, letter, brochure, lift letter and response device.

The benefit of direct mail is that you have an unlimited number of choices when it comes to your package. You can choose the paper, ink color and size of the package. Or you might choose a postcard, self mailer, flyer or 3D package which is almost guaranteed to get opened.

7. Follow Up

The three most important elements to test are the list, offer and package. Studies show the quality of your mailing list represents 40% – 70% of your mailing success.

First, carefully select your list, keep your offer the same and test one list against another; either two rented lists or your customer list against a rented list.

Then, test your offers. Keep your list the same and change your offer. A one word change in a headline can boost your response over 300%. Test discounts, free gifts, free samples, personalized coaching or free reports.

Third, test the creative. Colors create moods and can affect response. Test a humorous approach vs. a serious approach. Test photos vs. clip art, ink colors, paper colors, envelope design. Test a postcard vs. a letter. What about a teaser on the envelope vs. a blank envelope? All these variables can affect your response and should be tested.

It’s useless to have a powerful measurable tool like direct mail and not evaluate whether it’s working. Keep tr

–About–

Allan is the Loyalty Coach at http://www.loyaltycoach.comand the Marketing Director of http://www.DriveThruPrintingAndMailing.com,a full service, web based Direct Mail Advertising and Printing Company, in Memphis, Tennessee specializing in 4 color printing of direct mail postcards, brochures, newsletters and flyers.

Source: ArticleTrader.com