Both direct mail—the printed word—and websites are essential in promoting your business.
So, how does it work? What’s the secret to using direct mail to promote your online presence? Let’s take a look.
Don’t rely on Google to sell your site to anyone. Just because you have a website doesn’t mean you will become an overnight success. There are so many websites and businesses competing for consumers’ attention that you will need a little more help than just having a site.
As Barry Fieg, author of “Streetwise Low-Cost Web Site Promotion” says, “Google doesn’t care about your sales. Nor does Google help you target your market.”
Fieg says two things have to happen: First, you need to get people to your site. Second, you need to convert them from surfers to buyers. And, according to studies, you have about seven seconds to grab peoples’ attention.
And this is where direct mail comes in.
Direct mail can lead people directly to your site.
Direct mail prepares prospects and clients for what they are about to see on your site.
You can tease them with a little bit of information in the direct mailer. Then, you can elaborate on it when they go to your website. You could show people the details of your product, give a tour of your business, or show options that you offer in real-time.
Direct mail allows you to target the exact people you want to reach.
You can pinpoint your audience, send direct mail to them, and lead them right to your site online.
Direct mail is like a personal invitation to your guests to see what you offer and to buy it online. Most people actually appreciate the fact that you sent them something directly in the mail, versus in a quick email, and it has more of a personal touch.
Direct mail allows recipients to engage with you on their time.
If you send out postcards, you allow customers to carry that information with them until they sit down in front of the computer.
Postcards are convenient, catchy, and direct. It doesn’t take long to get someone to punch in your website address now that it’s in their hand. And if your direct mail is creative, it will grab people’s attention right away.
Direct mail is preferred over email.
People get lost in hundreds of emails a day and often delete them without truly looking them over.
But direct mail is different. It is tangible, and it gets noticed.
Successful businesses realize that there needs to be more than just an online presence; direct mail is the transition from advertising to buying. In a recent Info Trends study, people actually preferred direct mail three times as much as receiving emails.
Direct mail is cost-effective.
Direct mail is cheaper than radio ads, which disappear in 30 seconds, and it has a longer shelf-life than TV ads.
Direct mail can be read over and over, even if it’s just sitting on a desk, and it commands attention.
No matter what your direct mail is—whether it’s postcards, catalogs, brochures, flyers, or other items—the tangible mail is worth the extra effort to drive people to your website. You can’t rely only on search engines to bring you virtual traffic.
If you need fresh, new ideas, we are here to help make you even more successful. Reach out today!