For a small business, there’s nothing scarier than marketing gone wrong. Except, perhaps, not knowing at all exactly what happened with your marketing. While direct mail can produce its share of horror stories, you’ll be happy to know there’s really nothing to fear. Working with Cactus Mailing Company and a little foresight on your part can turn direct mail into a reliable, “no worries” marketing tool.
You’ll never have to tell one of these horror stories.
“I tried one of those online DIY put-your-ad-together sites.”
My budget is limited, and I thought I’d save money doing things myself. How hard could it really be? There are all those handy online sites where all you have to do is upload your contact information and a picture. It was pretty fast and easy, until I realized I had to spend time addressing and sorting all those postcards and hauling them to the post office. I didn’t budget for that, and with my small staff, it was a hassle.
Worse, after all that work, I realized my postcards looked just like the marketing from my competitor across town. He must have used the same DIY site. People that got my mailers called my business thinking they were calling him. Instead of building my own brand and making sales, I merely confused people. What a disaster.
“I waited … and waited … weeks for design.”
The company said I would get my postcards quickly, but the actual turnaround took forever. I had planned a seasonal mailing, but it took so long to get my postcards designed and printed I missed most of my sales window. What a waste.
“I couldn’t get the low postage rate because I prepared my mailing wrong.”
I planned a saturation mailing so I could save money with the lower postage rate. But the post office said I didn’t sort and identify my postcards correctly, so I had to pay a higher rate. My friend who runs a non-profit made the same mistakes and wasn’t able to get the special non-profit postage rate, either.
“I never knew if my postcards were actually mailed or delivered.”
The company said they mailed my postcards, but they wouldn’t give me a receipt. I wanted my staff to be ready to receive calls, but we never knew exactly when to expect them.
“I didn’t get any results.”
Or maybe I did, and I just didn’t know it. How am I supposed to know if I’m getting a good return on my investment, if I don’t even know what response I’m getting? I learned later on – from a real direct mail expert – that my postcards should have included a way for me to monitor response. They said it’s a good idea to include a special offer code, and they said they could help me establish an easy way to track calls, too.
“Customer service? What customer service?”
I asked a couple of companies to send me information, and I never heard back. I called another company and now they won’t stop hassling me. I feel like I’m being stalked.
Have no fear. Make the right call.
Do not let these horror stories dissuade you from using direct mail, especially postcards. And don’t let them lead you to believe that all companies are the same.
A reputable, full-service direct mail company like, Cactus Mailing Company, focuses on personalized service and quality workmanship. We know your postcards can’t start working for you until they get into your prospects’ hands. So we’ll call you right back, every time and custom-design a mailer tailored specifically for your business and your campaign, typically within a couple of weeks.
You can skip the horror stories and go straight to enjoying the increased visibility and sales you should expect from direct mail marketing. Why be afraid, when you can have confidence, peace of mind and profitability?
photo credit: kevin dooley via photopin cc