Direct Mail Continues to Remain Effective

Direct Mail has been referred to in our advertising agency as “the silent killer” and with the results of December and January sales matches coming in, it continues to hold its title.

So what is new in the world of mail?

Variation in the size and content are the two biggest factors as of late:

Be Smart, Spend Less, Go Small – Postcards. Many people rationalize that Postcards are better than letters because they don’t have to get opened. There’s some truth and some false in that statement, but it is all how the piece and offer is positioned. Postcards used to display 4 monthly service offers are

proving very effective. Postcards with a “savings extension notice” or “bad weather delay” are also very effective as a quick attention getter. The CONS of a postcard – don’t try to say too much. Just like a TV spot, you only have a certain time for a certain amount of words. Trying to put too much into one place can make the whole effort not effective.

Go Big or Go Home – Newsletters. Multi-page, combination of sales, service, tips, and timely information can engage readers and further strengthen their loyalty to the dealership. If your brand does not have to separate service from sales advertising you can greatly benefit from using dollars out of each department to combine your message. If you are the guy who has too much news and content to be limited to a Postcard then something BIG can make a BIG impression. You will pay incrementally more for a larger size mailer and it will take more time to put together but your return on investment based off the number of impressions that you make will be greater as well.