Direct Mail
Direct Mail – the most efficient communication channel with a particular user. Professionally written sales letter, according to the American advertising agency professionals “Cunningham End Walsh”, is the most important element of direct marketing. A good sales letter is often more effective than the most impressive Brochures and many other types of advertising.
Direct Mail – a very common and readable form of advertising. Statistics show that the recipients are viewing more than 80% of advertising messages directed to them personally at home addresses, answer for 50-60% of letters with offers of goods for personal use, in 5-15% of cases purchasing is followed. But even if sent requests constitute only 3-4% of the proposals, and actual sales – 1%, and even then not necessary to consider the rest of the material is directed without benefit. Some recipients will read the material, remember the name of the company and product. This audience will be a potential market for future sales.
The role of Direct Mail advertising increases steadily. For example, only in the US about 4 billion advertising letters was sent a year, and, as a result of Direct Mail, sales up to 5% of the gross national product (at a cost). The most common and most effective Direct Mail is used for the sale of licenses, technology, books, clothing, novelties, gourmet food products, organization magazine subscriptions, for insurance, the sale of various services. Firms are well aware of their regular and potential customers (their needs, inclinations, affection), and use this knowledge for creating and sending Direct Mail. However, the use of Direct Mail is not limited to the above areas. There is almost no sector of the economy, which have ever not been used for Direct Mail advertising.
The great advantage of Direct Mail is that it can be used as a means of market research.
To do this, mail questionnaires are sent in order to obtain the necessary information, which would require large financial and time costs when another method is used. But the effectiveness of such a market study in different countries is different. In the United States and Germany, where consumers are accustomed to such surveys, it will be the maximum. But for example the Russian postal questionnaires will not give the desired effect today.
An important advantage of Direct Mail is the ability to use it in cases where the advertiser wishes to study the demand for their products on a small scale without a wide advertising campaign. Referring to a specific range of consumers, he wishes only to feel the pulse of the market, and only then make a decision on expansion of production (realization) of goods and deploying an advertising campaign.
Comparing the Direct Mail with advertising in newspapers and magazines, it should be noted that the daily reading of printed media reader is not able to focus only on a particular ad, his attention is scattered. The viewer has no choice, he looks what there is showed at this moment and can’t watch all the programs running. Direct Mail has no distracting background information inherent to other means of disseminating information. In addition, if many kinds of advertising simply send the customer to the store, where he can see and purchase product the Direct Mail advertising convinced of the need for consumer purchases without prior acquaintance with the goods. Direct Mail gives a more complete and more comprehensive information, while ensuring a close and direct relationship with a potential customer.