Last night I was browsing one of my favorite (and extremely popular) Facebook marketing groups and felt compelled to friend someone in the group and start a private conversation. The thread had to do with mailing lists for direct mail.
The individual seeking advice was looking to do a well-designed postcard designed to get prospects into an online funnel.
So far, so good. He knows he needs to do a multi-step approach.
However, some well-intentioned person (read — idiot who has probably never done a direct mail campaign) chimed in to answer his question on obtaining mailing lists. His answer, “infousa”. For $49 a month you can get unlimited access. And the questioner (not knowing any better) was about to hop over there and place an order.
My intervention saved him several thousand dollars.
You’re going to spend an average of sixty cents to print and mail those cards. Let me give you a shortcut — Just write out a check to the post office and your local printer and tell them you don’t want anything, it’s just a donation, because that’s exactly what you will be doing if you use a crappy list.
The ONLY sources of names that work in direct mail come from list brokers. You must rent buyers lists — These are people that have purchased other products in your niche.
Remember back in the day when your mailbox was flooded with catalogs?
If you ordered something from Sears, you probably got a JC Penny’s catalog as well.
If you ordered something from Fredericks of Hollywood, chances are Victoria’s Secret showed up in your mailbox too.
And this still happens today.
Why is that?
Because the smart folks over at JC Penny’s know that if you bought something through the mail from Sears, you’re likely to buy from them as well. If you bought a bra at Fredericks of Hollywood via mail, chances are you are likely to do it again.
List brokerage is an entire industry. You need to show your copy to a reputable broker who has seen other offers and already knows what lists will be responsive.
A shotgun approach and stuff like Every Door Direct Mail has no place in targeted marketing (unless you run a local business that a massive amount of people are likely to visit, like a pizzeria).
Why do people (especially Internet Marketers) NOT get this?
Would you do a solo email campaign or Facebook ad and NOT target it to your market?
Heck no. You would lose a ton of money, and you will in direct mail if you try that same tactic.
Stay tuned… I’ve got some information coming down the pipeline that will reveal the closely guarded secrets inside the direct mail industry. If you aren’t on my list, now would be a good time to fill out the form on the sidebar of this page. Take your pick, direct mail secrets only, MLM stuff, or both.
Comment, Share, and Tweet!