Mailshots and “freemiums” are the marketing tools of choice for developers and agents. Kim Tasso looks at current thinking in the light of e-mail and text messaging
Despite the deterioration in postal services, the growth of e-mail – especially viral and permission marketing – and text messaging campaigns, it seems that the mailshot remains a firm favourite in the property sector. So what are the tips for maximising the effectiveness of your mailshots?
Julie Hobbs, property marketing manager at King Sturge, says: “E-mail has not replaced letters and inserts. Web-based lists are most effective because the data is updated regularly. We get a reasonable response, and we even have people coming to us a year later for a different project because they remembered our brochure.”
The direct marketing industry suggests that the average response rate from a cold list is usually around 3-5% but this figure improves dramatically using compiled lists. This points to the importance of developing and maintaining an accurate, up-to-date database.
Sophisticated direct marketing users monitor response rates and reactions over time so that they can both increase the effectiveness of their targeting through better segmentation and compare the effectiveness of alternative approaches.
Niall Henry of Ico Design says: “List quality is fundamental for direct mail. Avoid attaching letters if you’re using direct mail and make the mailing piece say everything that needs to be said – succinctly and with impact. If you have something worth mailing, mail it twice or three times. I’m a fan of trying different things. It doesn’t have to be a paper-based solution”
Enter the freemium
In other sectors, creative approaches are more common. The “freemium” – the inclusion of some sort of freebie – is in vogue because it appears to lift response. By giving something free, your target audience will, it is hoped, feel obliged to respond. Magnets, torches, CDs – unrelated to the product – books, office stationery, maps, and seeds are all possibilities. The trick is to find items that do not bear a postage, packaging or handling overhead.
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What to do, and what not to do |
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The Institute of Direct Marketing offers the following checklist for direct marketing planning: ” Set your objectives ” Set your budget ” Outline your campaign activity ” Check on the competition ” Identify your target audience ” Access your target audience ” Develop your creative approach ” Design your mailing package ” Draw up your production schedule ” Brief internal personnel and external agencies ” Analyse and evaluate your results And a recent report by Susanna K Hutcheson listed 10 mistakes in direct mail: ” Not knowing your target market ” Mailing to the wrong list ” Not having a clear goal in your writing ” Price before offer ” Price before benefits ” Wrong price ” Inadequate testing ” Wrong objective ” Wrong headline ” Not telling your readers exactly what you want them to do |
