In Part One of this article we explored the concept that being a business owner today is different than it was a few decades ago. Seeing a need, then taking steps to fill that need requires ambition, dedication, and perseverance in order to be successful in today’s business climate. Your compassion, wisdom, and integrity fuel your quest to provide the basic necessities for your family, and provide opportunities for others to prosper too.
Business owners provide jobs in their communities, better living conditions for others, and improved economic conditions for everyone. Keeping your doors open for business requires knowledge, understanding, and keen instincts that are honed over the years while gaining valuable experience along the way. The “horse-and-buggy” methods of doing business decades ago have given way to the technological tools that save time, but at what cost in the end?
Life was simpler then. The pace of life was often slower, enabling folks to enjoy the shopping experience while getting the things they needed. We can’t claim the same today; the current pace of life dictates that customers get in and out of our stores as quickly as possible. Sadly, much is lost in the translation.
The personal touch that our forefathers included in their business dealings is lost to the need for speed in today’s checkout lines. People rush to save time without enjoying the shopping experience. We seem to have lost the personal touch, and replaced it with the convenience that our modern machines and methods afford us.
The modern conveniences and the break-neck pace that they promote, don’t eliminate our need to drive customers into our stores. We still need consumers to buy our goods and services, and that requires marketing and advertising. We still need to corral the customers with the least amount of money and the highest level of efficiency. But how do you decide where to invest your advertising dollars in order to get the highest Return on Investment (ROI)?
Here at Front Door Advertising, we know that print advertising provides a cost-effective, highly targeted way to reach your customers and save money in the process. Mainstream advertising messages are transitory, so we know that utilizing direct-mail postcards will drive potential customers to your door, and they will be one of the most durable advertisements that you can use to promote your products and/or services. They’re an honest, effective, inexpensive way to reach your target market!
Direct-mail postcards can be incorporated with other methods of advertising to boost your bottom line without depleting your budget. Our custom direct-mail postcards cost a fraction of a postage stamp and pack a big punch in the quest to get customers to your location. Let’s take a look at how direct-mail postcards stack up to some of the more conventional methods of advertising.
Mass advertising messages may reach a huge audience without the guarantee of engaging potential customers. They are temporary, fleeting images that must be repeated several times before folks become aware of what you’re selling. It’s difficult to pinpoint what market segment it might actually reach. There’s no guarantee that your target market will see your ad, and for the cost of the message that’s a pretty big gamble for the potential payoff.
Not so with direct-mail postcards. Your high-value offer is durable enough to keep for weeks, months, or even years until your prospect is ready to buy. The full-color advertisement is eye-catching, and the deal you present is clear and concise keeping your name in front of the customer much longer than a fleeting television or radio ad. It’s presence isn’t intrusive or annoying, and your target market will appreciate that part of your ad.
And the best part of utilizing direct-mail postcards is their success rates. Television and radio ads convert approximately 0.2% of potential customers who see or hear the ad, and approximately 0.5% to 1.5% of potential customers who receive an e-mail or SMS text message. Direct-mail postcards have a proven record of converting 3 to 5% or more of the potential customers who see your high-value ad for substantially less than the cost of those hit-or-miss mediums.
Imagine investing less than $15,000.00 per year into direct-mail postcards, while realizing ROI of potentially 300% to 500% over the more costly conventional methods of advertising. Every time potential customers look at your postcard, they see your special offer and have the advantage of time in order to act.
In addition, as long as the potential customer retains your postcard, the ad also remains intact. Your ad may promote your special offer and your products and/or services for months or even years before someone discards your direct-mail postcard. No other advertising method provides that much potential longevity from a single investment.
Front Door Advertising offers several examples of custom direct-mail postcards that can be viewed at fdadvertising.com in standard and jumbo sizes. Call us today at 1-888-870-4242 for a FREE quote to see how Front Door Advertising can help your business create a winning direct-mail campaign.