How To Reduce Your Direct-Mail Costs

Posted on September 2, 2010

For a business, advertising is a MUST, to reach out to new clients and to keep your loyal customers returning. Even though every business model is different, nearly all companies use some form of advertising, whether print, web, TV or radio. Direct mail is still the leader when it comes to print advertising, though it can be costly to convert the leads generated into actual customers for many reasons. That’s why it is wise to review your direct- mail strategy and, in some cases, revise it.

Direct mail is more than simply sending your special deals to a large mailing list. Direct mail is about sending targeted messages to targeted mailing lists. It is a common mistake among businesses to send to just any list available to rent or purchase. The resulting cost associated with such a random mailing is high, and the conversion rate is extremely low.

Postcards are a great solution for reaching a targeted list and provides the highest ROI (return on investment), assuming, of course, that you’ve selected the appropriate direct-mail resource.

Let’s explore the impact on cost and effectiveness in a typical scenario. Perhaps you want to launch a campaign advertising a special clearance event; you might decide to “do it yourself” by sending this special promotion to your surrounding neighborhood. If you want to send 10,000 postcards first-class postage will cost you $4,400 (at 44 cents per); 10,000 plain envelopes will run approximately $500; acquiring a mailing list can cost up to $250, unless you have already have one. Your total investment comes to $5,150, or 51.5 cents per home for 10,000 messages.

We offer well-designed full-color postcards, printed AND mailed for just 35 cents per home, enabling you to reach new customers at the lowest possible cost.

The point: Direct mail works but can be costly to find the right solution to achieve your goal while fitting within your budget. When exploring options, be sure to consider all that we offer at just pennies per household: postcards, inserts, menus and more!

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When It Comes To Advertising, Hire A Pro!

Posted on September 2, 2010

When it comes to advertising, today’s customers are visually oriented. People tend to read advertisements with colorful photographs and logos that are supported by strong headlines with clear messages. To maximize your advertising ROI, you should find a resource that does it all.

Your Local Advertising Team
Using a reputable marketing team to design your campaigns will enable you to create advertising that looks professional and conveys your message. With a strong visual presentation, you can maintain a consistent image and branding throughout all your advertising. Consumers will read the details once they’re drawn in by beautiful photographs, logos and colors. Work with the best local and national advertising/marketing resources available. Use reputable and nationally respected resources. For example, if you need direct-mail services, some advertising houses are able to handle not only the creative and graphics, but also the mailing lists to targeted demographics and zip codes.

Benefits include complementary marketing and advertising consultation services with vivid full-color printing on high-quality paper stock, professional photography, expertly designed layouts and an array of comprehensive, high-quality resources at an extremely affordable price. We emphasize professional photography to help local businesses present their images in the best possible light

Full-Color Direct-Mail Advertising
A picture is still worth 1000 words, so, whenever possible, avoid most black and white publications. Look for professional, full-color printing capabilities. Today, you can affordably market your services and products in full color to ensure the best possible redemption. Research shows that full-color advertising options can actually increase redemption rates by 30% to 60%.

Tap Into Complementary Marketing Consultations
Many advertising houses will facilitate your campaign–and charge you for their services. That’s only fair, but you can also ask the media sales reps where you place your advertising for advice on what works best. We pride ourselves on the excellent level of customer service that we provide to our clients. We share what works with our clients, including direct-mail case studies and readership statistics. Our email marketing division, the Loyal Customer Club, offers great opt-in email marketing tips to increase open rate. Our full-service restaurant marketing division helps local restaurants with their marketing needs and offers great practical and strategic solutions. Our web develpment division ensures that your site is optimized for a maximum online conversion. We make sure our clients are being marketed in the best way possible; that is the value of good advertising practices.

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Direct-Mail Advertising

Posted on September 2, 2010

A good direct-mail strategy starts with ensuring you have all the required elements to launch your campaign–from defining your target audience and improving your branding to delivering a strong call to action with the right product.

Direct mail does not simply mean sending your advertising messages to a mailing list. There are many companies out there that sell or rent mailing lists and the cost is usually high. The key to effective direct-mail advertising is in delivering highly targeted advertising while keeping it relevant. Doing your own postcard mailing is not as efficient nor as effective as sending an Inside Postcard with us.

Our publication distribution exceeds 27 million households every 6-7 weeks (that is over 230 million magazines per year!) using an exceptional delivery system and carefully selected zip codes based on income and carrier routes.

The point: Direct-mail costs are usually high, but they are far more inexpensive—and effectual–when you choose a resource with a proven system and success rate like ours.

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How About Some Good, Local Advertising!

Posted on September 2, 2010

We believe that strong marketing and advertising can work to build your professional image and reputation. We have a philosophy regarding good advertising practices. Today, full-color direct-mail advertising resources are considered to be valuable money-saving opportunities by most people. We would like to share with you our philosophy of good advertising and what makes an ad successful.

Successful ads should attract your readers’ attention, accurately convey the business and entice them to respond.

Attracting:
When your focal image, headline and offer(s) are strong and relate to one another, the design of your ad is kept simple and will support the overall marketing objective; the color(s) and fonts chosen for your ad should portray your business in an accurate manner, which will help convey the marketing message.

Accurate:
It’s important that your readers fundamentally understand (at a glance) what your business is, making it imperative that you clearly define your specific type of business. For example, if you own a diner that serves meals averaging $7 per person, it’s wise to depict your restaurant accurately rather than to “inflate” the perception by using a high-end image. Bottom line: Don’t try to be something you’re not; you don’t want to risk losing future customers who were disappointed by an uncharacteristic view of your business. Note: This example can be applied to any business; know who your average consumer is and make sure your advertising targets them appropriately.

Simple and Clean:
If an ad is cluttered, what does that say about your business? Is there a hidden agenda behind all that clutter? If your advertisement is clean and simple and looks professional, guess what?! You’ll catch their attention. There are other things beside copy in an ad that contributes to clutter. Keep your colors simple (using just one or two). The same principle applies to font usage. One main color and an accent color are enough for the ad. A headline font should be different from the one used for the copy, but limit the number of different fonts to two. This helps reduce visual clutter in your ads. Also, give your ad some breathing room – not all empty space has to be filled. This is important to let the readers’ eyes rest a little bit. The biggest mistake businesses make when it comes to advertising is that they think they have to put everything they do in an ad. Not so. Focus on what your consumers buy the most of – that communicates what people are interested in from you. Stick with one or two images in your ad, a strong headline and strong offer(s). The less copy you have in your ad, the more likely it is that the consumer will read it all. One or two strong focal points in your ad (whether an image or text from the headline) are enough to pull in a reader when used correctly. So, hierarchy in text is important, as well. In short, simple is better.

Your Readers:
When your ad is attracting, accurate, simple and clean, your readers will respond. Plus, they’ll have a greater appreciation in knowing exactly what your business is without taking too much time and effort. Help them understand what it is you do, quickly and efficiently; you will be rewarded with an increased customer base and sales!

We hope that you will share with us your comments! Any suggestions or ideas are welcome

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Delivering Coupons Is Local Advertising At Its Best

Posted on September 2, 2010

map“We have been advertising in this magazine since April 2003. From one ad, we brought in quadruple the amount of money we spent. This magazine is nicer looking and tends to attract a slightly better clientele than comparable mediums. You should advertise in it, but do it consistently.”
-Alex Royter, Solar Dimensions – Tanning Spa

We have many clients who provide testimonials about the impact that our advertising magazine has had on their businesses. The main reason behind our success, other than providing area businesses with budget-friendly advertising programs that accomplish their intended goals, is that we always focus on the local market. Here are a few important rules to remember when looking to adopt a successful advertising strategy.

Rule #1: THINK Locally, Don’t Just Advertise Locally
It is important to think community first and establish a solid relationship with businesses within your local areas first. Word of mouth is always the best way to grow a business and often the most efficient advertising method.

Rule #2: Deliver A Strong Message
Make sure your designed ad communicates your message and supports the overall marketing objective. It takes more than just a great visual to catch the reader’s eye—you also need to deliver the accompanying message clearly and accurately. At a glance, the ad should say what is your business is about.

Rule #3: Gain Loyalty Through Local Coupons
Coupons are one of the most useful marketing tools during a recession—and even when the economy is more viable. Local Coupons are a win- win situation for both customers and advertisers. For consumers, using money-saving coupons is a smart way to shop, and for businesses, it is definitely a tried and true way to keep those customers coming back.

Coupon offers can entice new customers away from your competitors. The key is to offer something rewarding while ensuring that your coupons are not placed “back to back” with other coupons on the reverse side of the page. Some direct-mail formats or newspapers have coupon pages on both sides; any unfortunate “back-ups” may reduce your coupon’s redemption rate.

Rule #4: Distribution Matters
The quality of the distribution list is just as important as the quality of your message! Carefully research your local market and select targeted zip codes to deliver your message to your preferred audience. Use a delivery system you can count on. Our magazines mail to 25,000- 50,000 homes in each local market. The selections are based on household income and carrier routes, with preference to routes that primarily feature homeowners rather than renters.

Considering these four “golden rules” will enable you to adopt a strong local advertising strategy and brand yourself well.

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A fresh look in direct mail and coupon advertising

Posted on September 2, 2010
We have been the industry leader in direct-mail, local advertising and coupon advertising for over 25 years. We thank you for the trust that you’ve placed in our hands. We take that trust seriously.
The proliferation of desktop publishing software since the early 1990s has resulted in a deterioration of true graphic design. Unfortunately, the abundance of poor design has made the general public somewhat accustomed to it. It’s also made business owners, come to accept (and expect) poor design. Fortunately, most people still instinctively know good design when they see it— although they couldn’t necessarily verbalize why its good. So there is still an added benefit to good design: the general public recognizes it when they see it, and interprets it as professional, credible, and of high-quality. Being part of a well-designed publication automatically associates your business with all of those good qualities.
Realizing that times change and styles change, in order to continue to best service our clients and readers, we’ve made some improvements to our magazine to improve its readability and usability. We fully expect to broaden our readership, lengthen our shelf life, and gain acceptance in more and more households across America. This, of course, translates into better results for you.
The look of our magazines, as a whole, is dependent upon the look of each ad, individually. Please realize that we can’t improve the whole without changing each part. Our goal is to improve our magazine so that everyone will benefit.

What’s different?

A streamlined, more organized format.
Our all-horizontal layouts create a cleaner, easier-to-read format. By eliminating the visual break between vertically-formatted ads, we’ve given our magazine a less cluttered look. It’s highly subliminal, but the horizontal quarter-page ads create a more pleasant visual experience for the reader. We feel it’s important to point this out, because you’ll see our competition try to do the same. As the leader in the industry, imitators will undoubtedly follow. With our highly-skilled creative staff, we’re confident they’ll never keep up.


Consistent coupon sizing, placement and formatting.
Our readers have spoken, and we’ve listened. Small coupons are difficult to read, and awkward to use. They are easily lost in a purse or wallet. And by placing the coupons on the right side of every page, your coupon is guaranteed to never print behind someone else’s. Additionally, readers will know just where to look to find your coupons! Better organization of the magazine as a whole creates a more enjoyable experience for our readers. This translates to increased readership, greater coupon redemption, and more business for you.

Greater emphasis on professional photography.
A picture says a thousand words. A strong visual will capture a reader’s attention and convey your basic message faster than any other single element in your ad. Given this simple fact, isn’t it obvious that your image should be prominent and professional?
Our extensive database includes literally hundreds of thousands of sharp, crisp, unique images. And we continue to add more every day. We’re sure to have something to suit your needs.
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Direct Mail Advertising: Pricing vs. Value

Posted on September 2, 2010

No matter what type of business you operate, you need to use marketing and advertising that works to build your professional image and reputation. Direct mail is the perfect resource. The overall image, illustrations and offers that you present can make your business look elegant and inviting—or not. While it is very important to educate both current and potential new clients on the benefits of your services and staff, try not to clutter your direct-mail advertisements and marketing devices with too much extraneous copy or a cheap-looking image.

Whether you use an advertising magazine, solo direct-mail postcards, cooperative direct mail, coupon-oriented magazines or a combination of many media, you can make them all appear elegant and professional. If you use the right resources, your advertising will not be perceived as junk mail. Today, full-color direct-mail magazine advertising resources are considered to be valuable, money-saving opportunities by most people. And, as we mentioned in a previous article, in 2008, coupon distribution rose 7.5% and redemptions rose 15% as compared to a year earlier, which means that it is the prime time to advertise and offer local coupons.

In some cases, you have to be very careful in deciding what constitutes a “good deal” or price for the service. Some printing and distribution providers will offer discounts without backing them up. However there are reputable resources offering direct-mail advertising and local advertising solutions with good pricing. Many printers offer different types of paper stock, your choice of full color or black and white, as well as a variety of distribution lists—all will impact the pricing structure. Remember that the format of your direct mail is an important factor in the success of your marketing efforts. For example, consumers treat our publications as a magazine compared to other direct-mail resources. Its shelf life lasts six to eight weeks in the home.

The point: Pricing is not the only factor you should focus on when you choose a direct-mail advertising partner. Think about what value you are getting to help you build your professional image and brand. It is always wise to choose the best in the industry.

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What makes for a well-designed and well-marketed-ad?

Posted on September 2, 2010

directmail-adWhen it comes to direct-mail advertising, readers of publications such as ours are visually oriented. People tend to read advertisements that feature colorful photographs and logos that are supported by strong headlines and clear messages. Ads are designed differently, depending on what specific purpose they are to serve. What makes an ad successful? What makes it stand out from and, therefore, be better than
the rest?

We asked Chris Demers, one of our talented senior art directors, and here’s what he had to say:

Q: What do you notice about a well-marketed ad?

A: The message or design must be striking enough to get me to change my routine. My routine is generally flipping through a magazine and pausing for a second on each page. Something that makes me stop and look for a few additional seconds is critical. I should then feel rewarded for having spent the extra time to look. Never “trick” me into wasting even a few seconds of my time. Give me reason to care about what you want me to look at. Make me wiser or richer, better looking or more confident. Or don’t waste my time. Good advertising always plays to an emotional need. Great advertising creates it.

So, what strikes you most about well-marketed ads? Please share your answers with us.

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Affordable Direct-Mail Solutions: Think DAL

Posted on September 2, 2010

Postcards are designed and used to advertise or raise awareness of a company, service or cause. They make a a great addition to your print advertising such as catalogs, letters and flyers. We have always tried to find new ways to provide direct-mail solutions that work. We started testing DAL Postcards in 2005 when our regional V.P. introduced the concept to Papa John’s in Harrisburg, PA. The product was then rolled out as a test in Maryland. That year, two clients, combined, spent close to $100,000 with us due to the success of their response received. It was then that we knew we had a winning product for our advertisers!

Why Should Your Business Consider DAL Postcards?
When you think about it, you could produce postcards in house, then print, stamp and mail them. BUT. . .can you really do it more cost-effectively than we can? Can you print on a high-quality paper stock and still keep the cost low? How would you define your distribution lists? Based on what marketing data? Probably not as simple as it would seem initially. Postcard printing and distrbution is far more efficient and convenient when you use a reputable direct-mail and printing resource. Postcards are one of the best cost-efficient tools to present a call-to-action message.

Our V.P has stated that, “DAL postcards allow a client who prefers solo mailing to land in a consumer’s mailbox for approximately 1/3 of the cost associated with other postcard venues, Next, it is a call-to-action piece. It allows interaction between the consumer and the advertiser. . .kinetic advertising, kinetic response (the touch, feel, read and remember approach). It is cost effective, image oriented, sets the advertiser apart from others in the mailbox, and the best part is that the DAL postcards can meet the needs of an advertiser with segment mailings which are zip code specific–and all done with ad agency quality and design, but without ad agency cost!”

Here, we highlight 5 of the benefits of using DAL cards as a marketing tool:

1- Price – A DAL postcard is 1/3 the cost of traditional direct mail

2 – Exclusivity – Your advertisement becomes a solo mailer, rather than one of many ads in a packet/envelope/magazine

3- Impactful, high-quality postcards – Its beautiful full-color, glossy coating makes your postcard stand out

4- Can target your marketing area with specific zip codes or parts of zip codes closest to your location(s)

5- All inclusive – Design, printing and mailing for a single price; there are no “up charges” or hidden fees

The Design and The Message
DAL postcards are sized at 8.5″ X 5″ with a full-color front and a full-color back live area of 4.125″ x 4.75.” To be successful, a postcard should get people’s attention and deliver the message with value. A great image is one that best represents the business, and supports a call-to-action message–similar to billboard advertising.

A great visual on the front to catch the reader’s eye, a strong offer or incentive for the reader to call, a headline that captures the reader’s attention, not too much copy, and don’t forget to include a website address, if available.

Quality of the Distribution List: as Important as the Quality of Your Message!
The DAL‘s distribution is based on the distribution of the magazine – full-saturation carrier routes—meaning that a DAL advertiser has the advantage of using the same zips and carrier routes to which we mail the magazine. However, as a DAL advertiser, you can select which zips and which carrier routes within those zips you would like to target, as well as choose specific carrier routes by median household income, median home value, and median head-of-household age. We mail to households that are your end users–and who have the disposable income to buy!

You can also ask for carrier routes within a 5- or 10-mile radius of your location. DAL postcards mail at the same time as the magazine, since the DAL essentially serves as the magazine’s address label.

We strongly reccommend that a business use the DAL in segments of a minimum of 10,000 homes for the best results. Also, the segments selected should be as zip code specific as possible to total that.

DAL Postcards: A Healthy Add-on to Your Advertising Program
Keep in mind, nothing replaces the on-page publication ad in exposure, design, distribution and cost. The DAL is a healthy “add-on” to a our advertiser’s marketing program. In some cases, the DAL serves as a “coupon-shy” advertiser’s introduction to us and may become the vehicle by which they eventually enter the magazine. DALs can help build the relationship between us and advertisers—and often significantly increase the number of our “believers.”

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