Start A Mail Order Business

Many business owners find that today the best way of using direct mail is to combine it with the Internet. Its like taking a proven half century old marketing technique and combining it with the modern day World Wide Web. One of the best ways of doing this is to use direct mail postcards to send highly targeted traffic to your website. Then let the website do all the selling, and telling for you.

One of the best things about getting into postcard marketing is the fact that you're entering the multi-billion dollar direct mail and direct response marketing industry.

Promoting a business is more effective and easier through the help of postcards. Postcard marketing is being used by many business owners today because it is more affordable plus the chance of getting your message read is higher. An effective postcard for marketing purposes needs to contain a brief but informative and appealing message.

The idea is to get a direct response.

Your only objective is to send the prospect to your website or get them to pick up the phone and call you for more information. Most business owners find that traffic to their website is much more targeted and converts better when it comes from direct mail postcard marketing -vs- Internet Marketing.

This is because with direct mail (assuming you have the right list broker) you can target prospects who have actually purchased a product or service in your industry within the last 90 days. You can not do this with Google adwords, or banner ads, or safelists, etc..

The key to a good direct mail postcard campaign is to have a good list that matches your offer, and an offer that matches what you are promoting. This is where new marketers tend to struggle because they have not developed a good relationship with an experienced list broker. Finding the right list broker and building a relationship is key. Here are some questions and things you never want to say when contacting a list broker:

First off, understand that you are not buying a list. You are renting it for one time use. So don't contact a list broker and say "IM looking to buy a list". It instantly makes you look like a clueless amateur and does not start the relationship off in the right direction.

Secondly, you want to make it very clear that you are not looking to rent a list of prospects that have merely "requested information" about a product or service in your market. Tell them you want to rent a list of previous buyers and that you would like to supply them with a copy of your mailing piece, and your website so that they can match up the correct list of buyers for your offer.

When they do this, they should be able to tell you what product or service and the company the buyers on this list you are renting was originated from. Once you have this part down its like gold. You have a list of not potential buyers, but actual buyers who have taken action and purchased a product or service similar to the product or service you are offering. And this is the true power of direct mail marketing. What better traffic to send to your website then paying customers who have already made a purchased, or joined a membership, or a business opportunity similar to the one you are promoting.

This does not mean that as a marketer you should completely abandon Internet marketing. However, with that said you can take any Internet marketing strategy out there, but it will not stand a chance against direct mail marketing. Period.