Why You Should Be Using Direct Mail

Yeah, I know the drill all too well. “I tried direct mail and it don’t work and it’s expensive.”

To be honest, I bombed and hit hard the first time I used direct mail too! It was ugly.

But I stayed with it and learned how to make it work from a select few pros in the industry. And it paid off in spades.

In this short article I’m going to give you some reasons why you should put direct mail to work in your business. If you don’t, you’re leaving money on the table.

In another article I’ll show you how to make it profitable. But for now, I’m suggesting that you to at least consider using direct mail to grow your business.

I believe that you’ll soon be surprised at how efficient and profitable direct mail really is.

Let’s get to it.

Some of the largest and most profitable companies use Direct Mail to sustain and grow their business. It’s true, Apple, AT&T, Wells Fargo, Pfizer and Wal-Mart and numerous business use direct mail to get fresh leads and increase their sales.

And in case you’re wondering, internet companies such as Google rely on this marketing channel to get businesses to advertise with them.

Sending out direct mail works like crazy for nearly any type of business… medical clinics, plumbers, auto repair shops, publishers, sales organizations… and nearly any other business you can think of. And it will work for your business too!

Here’s Just A Few Reasons To Use Direct Mail

First, you won’t find a more reliable and robust system to get your message out to your clients and prospects.

While there’s no perfect methodology, the US Postal Service is hard to beat.

The Postal Service delivers to 146 million households and business each day, six days a week. Sure, UPS and FedEx compete but UPS delivers only 8 million and FedEx less.

Rest assured, the Postal Service is NOT Going Away! So, you have extremely reliable system right at your fingertips to get the word out affordably.

According to DM News, a recent study showed that 98% of consumers get their mail from the mailbox the day it’s delivered, and 77% go through it immediately.

Now, think about YOUR email. Do you think it’s treated with as much urgency?

According the DMA Statistical Fact Book, 12 Billion (with a B) Catalogs were mailed last year. Do you really think catalog companies go to the trouble and expense to send out 12 BILLION catalogs if they weren’t successful?

What’s more is that this method of advertising in the US is expected to rise to over $48 Billion.

So, what this all adds up to is a dependable, economical and profitable system to sustain and grow your business.

Stay tuned. Next, I’ll be talking about how to make your mailing profitable.

Empowerment and Equality and Your Finances

The slogan “girl power” has been used for decades to encourage and celebrate female empowerment, independence, and confidence. The term used most often relates to sports and employment; however, new studies are showing that women need to exert their girl power when it comes to finances and financial planning.

A recent study released by UBS shows that 58% of women worldwide defer long-term financial decisions to their spouses. This study included nearly 3,700 high-net-worth married women, widows and divorcees in nine countries. The results of the study showed that 85% of women were responsible for the day-to-day finances; just not the long-term.

What is really interesting is the generational span of this survey and, most notably, the generation most likely to allow someone else to control their decisions: millennials! Millennials are a generation well known for promoting equality and empowerment. Unfortunately, the survey results indicate the helicopter-style parenting millennials were raised with, where someone else is always ensuring their well-being, has bled into the financial realm. Fifty-nine percent of millennial women aged 20 – 34 are more likely to allow their spouse to take the lead compared to 55% of women over 50. The general excuse from the younger women is they have “more urgent responsibilities than investing and financial planning”. Even more contradictory to the equality movement is they “believe their spouses know more about long-term finances than they do”.

The challenge this arrangement poses is the lack of preparation and understanding should a life event such as death or divorce occur. The report noted that 74% of the widowed and divorced women it surveyed reported “discovering negative financial surprises after a divorce or death of their spouse.” Hindsight resulted in 74% of these respondents wishing they had been more involved in long-term financial decisions while they were married, rather than trying to navigate them while coping with such significant life changes.”

The ideal solution is for both partners in a relationship to be aware of both the short- and long-term aspects of their finances. Whether you are married, engaged, common-law or committed, financial planning is another part of creating a responsible long-lasting arrangement between two parties. In this age, knowledge really is power. So be powerful, take control of your money.