How to make your direct marketing stand out

David Banks
Authored by David Banks
Posted: Thursday, January 23, 2020 - 14:40

If you’re trying to grow your small business, then you need to get your name out there so potential customers will consider you when looking for the products or services that you offer. There are many different things you can do, but what’s the best for your brand and how can you get in touch with your target audience?

When starting to build your marketing strategy, you may be thinking about adding direct marketing as part of your growth plan. This can be a great way to tell your customers what you offer and how you can help them. However, you need to make sure that you stand out from the crowd, so you don’t lose business to a competitor. Here are some of the things you should think about when looking to make an impact with your direct marketing.

Precisely target your market

Some may think that the more people you appeal to, the better - but the opposite is true. That’s because your prospective customers are rarely looking for generalists: they want someone with the experience and knowledge to provide the solution to their problem.

So be precise: define your target market by size and the problems you can solve. You should also consider that your target market is also large enough for you to have a highly profitable business. Once you are clear about who your services or products help, then you can attract more customers.

Position yourself as an expert

If you want your future customers to see you as an expert in your field, then demonstrate your expertise and give them a reason to get in contact with you. You could do this by creating a free offer to show how well you understand their problem and how you could solve it - so this could be a free report, or a free estimate or consultation.

Focus on your product or service benefits

Your prospective customers will want to know what’s in it for them: so with the text on your direct mail, write from their perspective and use ‘you’ and ‘your’. Also make sure that your text is short and gets to the point, and use powerful words such as ‘free’, ‘new,’ ‘results’ and ‘guarantee’, among others.

Use striking or colourful graphics

Using one large image will make more of an impact than several smaller ones. That’s because a striking image will grab someone’s attention, create a particular mood and support your story; this will be your focal point and draw in potential customers. You can work with a direct mail design expert to make sure that your campaign is a memorable one, and you use the best images for your mailing.

Use testimonials

An endorsement from a happy customer will strike a chord with your prospective clients - especially if they show the results of using your services or products. Make sure you include some details of the person who has provided the endorsement, such as their name and location or company.