For this week’s post, we are going to eliminate “the build” and get right to the point: the real money is in the follow up. And that follow up must be continual.
If a band came on stage and let out a single beat—bop!—nobody would dance. Even worse, nobody would buy any of their t-shirts or other “merch.” It’s the repetition of the beat that gets people on their feet. And when they know and love your beat, they spend their money.
So, if you want people to dance to your tune (purchase your product or service), you’ve got to mail out your postcard as if it were the pulse of music, over and over.
Okay, now let’s turn the music down for minute.
It’s a War Out There!
The conventional definition of the word “campaign” is “a series of military operations intended to achieve a particular objective, confined to a particular area, or involving a specified type of fighting.”
Without a “series of…operations” in mind, you may win a battle every now and then but not the war.
A marketing campaign is not all that much different than a military campaign in terms of objectives. Mind you, you’re not seeking to destroy anything (except perhaps the competition) but campaigns are what win wars…and customers…and repeat business.
If your competition is on top, you can be sure that they know how to conduct a campaign.
A single postcard mailing is not a campaign. Continual follow up—repeat mailings—is a campaign.
Fire off your postcards on a routine, continual basis and victory is yours.
But That Costs Money…
True, direct mail marketing costs money (not as much as you think) but here is yet another brilliant analogy to explain why it’s necessary:
Coca-Cola tastes pretty good. (If Coke is not your thing, then substitute your favorite commercially-available beverage.) Do you think that their flavor alone could have put Coke, Budweiser or Starbucks where they are today?
We doubt it.
Without analyzing it too closely, we can say with great certainty that what made these products the giants that they are is their reality factor. Our general awareness of them is great. They are in every supermarket. Their ads are on TV, in print, and online. Everyone knows and uses these products, so they are real and legitimate to us.
Whether consciously or subliminally, this all creates in us a feeling of trust. And we tend to spend our money on the things we trust. Compare this to the feeling you get when considering an “off brand” of product. Off-brands seem less real to us. They “can’t be as good as _____.” We don’t want to risk our money.
Final Thought
So, it’s not really about war but it IS about building up a high level of familiarity with your audience to where you’re real to them. It is only then that they trust you enough to give you their money.
The more they receive your postcards, the more they will recognize your name. You will slowly become real and legitimate to them. Enough mailings and you reach the point where people think “everyone knows” who you are.
When you don’t follow up, when you don’t carry out a real campaign, you are literally nobody to your prospects. And prospects don’t just cut checks to nobodies.
Use continual follow up to make yourself real and you will start to enjoy the real money.
Speaking of real, it’s real easy to get out the next postcard in your campaign with ProspectsPLUS! online design, print, and mailing platform at www.prospectsplus.com/pei. You’ll find customizable design templates, targeted list-creation tools and more, all from your desktop or laptop.
But if you’re real busy, you might want to give Opportunity Knocks a call at 1 (866) 319-7109 instead. Tell us about your customers and your campaign objective and we’ll design a postcard campaign that makes you real (and makes your competition real jealous).