I am constantly receiving emails on ideas about using different yet creative advertising techniques. Mostly to help save someone money in their advertising, marketing and promotions budget.
Although I would not qualify this as creative as it is more common sense, but you would be surprised as to how many people overlook the obvious on the simplest of things. Sign up for our Email Newsletter I am sure you have a credit card of some sort, if you don`t, my goodness how did you get to this point without one. In all seriousness though, when I receive my credit card statement, there is always extra material or mailers included. It could be to buy a new radio, a discount on a plane ticket and so on. These credit card companies have teamed up with others to make these offers. In turn, they probably split the postage, profits or the discount is only valid if you use the credit card the mailer came with. Whatever the deal is between them, I am sure they are both making out on it.
Today I want to focus in on putting your advertising in mailers for maximum exposure. Now we all don`t have to team up with credit card companies. You probably already send out mail for your business. Maybe they are invoices or some kind of notice to your already existing customers about a payment. Whatever the mail is about, now is the time to use every bit of that weight the postal service gives you for that stamp you just paid for.
So what do I mean? Very simply put, when you mail out your next invoice, make sure that mailing includes other information. It could be a coupon for a discount on your customer`s next purchase or next time they use your service, or even better, some kind of promotion that lets your already existing customer know, that if they refer someone for whatever it is you sell or service you provide, they will receive a significant discount on their next purchase or usage.
What is significant? You will have to decide that for yourself so that you are not undercutting your profit margin just to gain one customer. I will tell you this though, research I have read shows that 35% is considered a significant discount. Now maybe that is a bit steep for you, so offer something else. Maybe you hang drywall for a living. Instead of offering a 35% discount, offer to the customer that if they purchase the paint, you will paint the room you just drywalled. Again, you will have to decide what is right for you and your business.
A friend of mine owns a rental property repair business. He tells me when he goes to work on an apartment, especially in an apartment complex that has many units, he and his staff will take about an hour out of their day and put flyers up on doors of other apartments. These flyers read something to the affect of, asking the tenant to put the flyer they put on their door in with their next rent payment they are to send to the landlord. There is other information on there which makes the offer more intriguing to the tenant to follow through, but you get the point. My friend is getting his promotion material in front of the person that will make the decision as to who to use to fix up the apartments. Best part, he didn`t have to spend a dime on postage, only to print the flyers, and we all know how cheap they are to print.
As you can see these are just a few examples of great ideas to help expand your business through mailers. Customize a mailer program for your business, and it is sure to increase in no time.
By: Bruce A. Tucker
