Web Podcast - Episode 26: Tips for email & direct mail

Read the transcription of this podcast:

Hey guys, episode 26 and were talking about the difference between marketing emails, and mail marketing.

So, what's the difference? Obviously, ones done through emails, the other is through the post. We’re talking about letters, product offers, specials and marketing it to people. When we are doing this, we’re doing it to clients, or prospects.

By email marketing, we mean going into Mail Chimp or other software, setting up a mail campaign, firing it out to your list of several hundred to several thousand people, and generating sales off that.

With mail marketing, a system that not a lot of people use anymore, that's where we would go and make a sales letter, print it, and send it to the client. You may think I'm crazy, but I believe this old school way is the way to go. Especially when dealing with new clients. It's good to send them mail in the mail. They'll more likely open mail, than they will email. By default, everyone gets a whole lot of rubbish in their emails every day, they're working, they're busy, they're taking their kids to preschool, they're going to the pub, whatever they're doing, they're flat out all day. They don't have time to open the email that claims 25% off. Unless you're selling something that they love, like they're a keen fisherman and you run a boating website, sure, maybe they'll open the email. But, most of the time, they're just going to delete it.

What the issue is with email marketing, if you're dealing with people that aren't already clients of yours, they're cold leads, and they're not really going to make a sale. They're not even going to read it.

Mail marketing is different. You can post them a sales letter, have their address handwritten on the envelope, they'll receive that letter and wonder who's sent it. It's not like receiving an email. They'll open it and read it.

That's the difference.

If you're posting them a printed glossy flyer, they'll throw it in the bin. I'm going against logic here, but it's good to go back to the old-fashioned way of saying:

Hi Bob,
Blah blah blah

Addressing it to someone properly, they'll take notice. They'll want to read it. It's not a flyer. It's a personalised letter.

If you have people who are already clients, they're already likely to rebuy from you. They're hot leads. It's easier to sell to someone who's purchased from you before. So long as they've had a good experience that is. They already use you, they're more open to buying from you again. You can email them. That's what I do with my clients.

When I'm dealing with potential new clients, I'll send them a letter in the mail. Sometimes it bounces back because not all addresses work, but it does still work.

In the last month I've sent out around 60 individually printed letters. From that I've had two new jobs that are worth $8,000. If I think about the labour I put in, it's worth the money. It may have taken 4-5 hours to do the letters, it's cost a few hundred dollars to get a massive project. It's worth it.

Make an offer: You can't just send a letter telling them what services you provide. You can, but you should put an offer in there to make it stand out.

I did an email marketing campaign recently, I ran an experiment. I ran a campaign offering a service that we provide, I just explained the service and how it could help them. I left it at that. I got one person take me up on the offer.

This week I did the same thing, I trimmed back all the wording in the ad, but included the points that there were only 10 spaces available and informed them they have until Monday to take up the offer. I sent it out. I instantly had 12 people interested in the offer. I explained the product less, but I included rarity. This made 12 people respond.

If you want people to take up your offer, you need to include the old sales tactics. Personally, I don't feel like I like to do this, I don't even take it on board. But a lot of people do. They take it on a subconscious level.

You need to make the customer feel special. They are special, they should be made to feel like royalty. So, you should offer existing clients 10% off, or offer them a free bag of chocolates. Reward their loyalty. It will entice them to buy more. They'll see that they're a VIP.

What I'm trying to say is you should try both ways. Email marketing and try the postcard or letter. Within all these things, include a time limited offer. Make it sound like they need to act now. People react to urgent things. Don't give them the option to get in touch next week, they'll have forgotten about it by then.


That's episode 26. Hope you get some valuable information from this episode. Let me know what experiences you get from implementing this strategy.

That's Matt from Razor Web Design Wire Podcast. Cheers.