Postcard Marketing

michaelg · #1 (**Link to this post**) 10-12-10

Hi there,

I was wondering if any of you could share your experience with postcard marketing. My product, www.AppointmentSMS.com, is targeted to any business that schedules customer appointments, such as doctors, dentists, car service mechanics etc.
I believe that many such businesses don't use an SMS reminder service because they believe that it's complicated or costly, or perhaps the thought has never crossed their mind that such a service will save them money by reducing no-shows, so I'm thinking that the best way to communicate this idea and promote my product would be to send out postcards with a special offer (such as a voucher number for a discount on their first purchase).

If anyone has done something similar I would love to hear how it went, and any tips that you could offer me. Do you think that it would be a feasible idea to do this considering my target market?

Many thanks,
Michael

beanonlinelately · #2 (**Link to this post**) 10-12-10

Hi Michael

A good topic and something that is very close to my heart.

Having worked in the letterbox distribution field, and also having received sms' from my chiropractor and car service company presently I find the sms service a great resource.

In terms of letterbox with postcards, your target market I'm assuming(rightly or wrongly) is businesses, aus post are the best people to speak with in relation to business to business distributions.

However, don't discount residential distribution also as there are many sole traders and companies that recieve their letterbox info at home.

I think the call to action would have to be right, something along the lines of 'DECREASE YOUR NO SHOWS for less than 15c per SMS'?

Having formally spent time in the vet industry I know that that industry is still heavily focused around card based reminders as opposed to more modern versions so that could dalso be an opportunity as well.

Check out www.petpack.com.au to see one of the suppliers in the industry for e-marketing offers. Perhaps give them a call if they don't offer this service already.

I hope this helps.

Cheers, Rod.
www.beanonlinelately.com.au

AgentMail · #3 (**Link to this post**) 11-12-10

HI Michael,

Direct Mail Marketing is definitly an area that is achieving excellent ROI. Whilst it can be a lot more costly than e-mail campaigns, it does two things.
1. It sets you apart from the other thousands of companies using cheap email marketing tactics, and gets you right into the hands of your audience.
2. It shows your prospective customer that you are serious about your business, and are willing to make the investment to get in touch with them.

As your business is about SMS - I would suggest having some sort of 'SMS On Time' to 132536' or something as part of the marketing piece.

If you need assistance with direct marketing, in terms of mailing, posting etc. please visit my site, www.agentmail.com.au, or contact me directly on info@agentmail.com.au.

Regards,
Carl

michaelg · #4 (**Link to this post**) 11-12-10

Hi Rod and Carl,

Thanks very much for your insightful replies. I'll give it a trial run early next year and see if I get much of a response rate - I guess people will be too pre-occupied with Christmas and holidays now for it to be effective.

I was thinking of doing an email campaign as well, but my understanding is that it's against the law to send unsolicited emails to businesses unless they have specifically given you permission to email - is this correct? If so, how can businesses do legal email campaigns?

Rod - thanks for the heads-up re. the vet industry. That's definitely a market that I will aim to target.

Thanks for the link to your website Carl, I'll definitely check it out and email you if I have any questions

Cheers,
Michael

Emroy · #5 (**Link to this post**) 13-12-10

Hi Michael,

I organise a great number of print marketing campaigns fr my clients and I always follow up on the results to see what has / what hasn't worked.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make, is to give up to quickly. Many businesses require being contacted multiple times before making a decision.

Sometimes, this may mean a follow up phone, or another direct mail campaign to the same audience a month or two later.

You will notice that your conversion rate on the second mail out will be higher than the first and likewise with the third. (They seem to plateu on the fourth.)

- Jake

mark_xpnsit · #6 (**Link to this post**) 13-12-10

Emroy is right - I think the research showed the average is 5 peices of communication before a decision is made. Best if that comes in different forms so combining email marketing, postcard marketing and general brand advertising would be a good way to go.

cwm67 · #7 (**Link to this post**) 13-12-10

I run a business providing services to small business in a niche field , I found direct mail works really well, a well written letter on one page with all the info and an offer.

I also tried a postcard and had close to zero response. I did a bot of research and discovered that the person who collects thae mail tends to put the postcards in the bin , as there seen as more adverisements. But personally addressed letters appear to have crediability

I have bough a couple of mailing lists which have worked fine , but also used other addresses from internet searches ( ie google doctor and location and see what sites pop up ) (yes a bit time consuming but get a junior onto it , they love it), It has worked Australia wide and I am in Brisbane

so your asking how successful , 2008 three years ago I turned over $ 500 k this year ( 2011) we should do 1 400 000. and I reckon 95 % of growth came from direct mail and then opportunities from those introduced by direct mail

But my tips are , it must be well written and have some type of offer one page and addressed well, on good letter head

Sonja Meyer · #8 (**Link to this post**) 14-12-10

Hi Michael,

If you do decide to do a direct mail campaign can I suggest having them printed on recycled paper? As I'm sure you're aware, many of your mailouts will end up in the bin. By being a little bit more sustainable in the production of your piece, you will minimise a lot of waste!

If you want any other advise on this topic please shoot me an email.
sonja@identitycrisis.com.au

Good luck!
Sonja
www.identitycrisis.com.au

Celine · #9 (**Link to this post**) 17-12-10

Hi Michael,
I am a big believer in appreciation marketing and using mail to not only show appreciation to clients but also as a tool for marketing. I use mail outs in both my coaching business and also in a salon business I had for a number of years. I also used sms to remind clients of services and this definitely reduced our cancellations.
I am happy to chat with you about my experience of the sms facility and also about the different mailing systems that I use.
I can also say that I recently joined a webinar training system all because the mailed a postcard to me promoting the event rather than just an email
kind regards
Celine Egan
www.tcy.com.au
celine@tcy.com.au

michaelg · #10 (**Link to this post**) 17-12-10

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your useful and informative posts. I've decided to do a little experiment this weekend, I'm going to mail out 80 letters (on recycled paper and in recycled envelopes

) with a promotional code for a free trial offer. I guess its not the best time of the year, with Christmas and NY coming up, but it'll be interesting to see if I get any results. I'll let you guys know how it goes. I've hand-written the addresses with blue ink for the personal touch, so hopefully that will get past the junk mail filter

Celine, I'd love to hear about your experience with the SMS service your using. If your interested, i'd love for you to take a look at my software and see how it compares to what your using, not to convert you but just for some feedback. I'll give you free credits off course, if your interested.

Cheers,
Michael

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Postcard Marketing