As consumers, we are trained to take in advertising and filter it out just as fast as it came to us.
We pay attention mostly only when it spikes our current interests. From the business standpoint, they are only valuable to us as the consumer on an “as needed” basis. Businesses everywhere are paying millions of dollars every day to capture your short attention span on the fly.
Think about your own day-to-day life. You really only notice a car commercial when you’re in the market for a car. If you’re upset with the price of your insurance, you notice a Geico billboard. If you have to slim down for the beach, diet and health food ads come to the forefront.
But what about the millions of ads that sweep by your mind each year that you’ve never noticed? This is where a simple yet effective product; direct mailing the magnet postcard, comes into play.
An HVAC/ Heating & Air Conditioning company, for example, relies on service calls to fill up their daily book of business. They know that if they can get a homeowner to call them for just one job, they can satisfy their needs and keep them for any future issues, upkeep needs, etc; but that first call is crucial.
Newspaper ads, TV, radio, or a billboard will only work if the consumer currently has that need. Otherwise, they will NEVER retain the phone number, and probably not even the name of the HVAC business. Chances are, they didn’t even consciously see the ad.
But what if there was a billboard that they looked at 30 times each day-every day? When they need arises for the HVAC service, they’d know just who to call.
The key is to provide incentive for the consumer to keep it in plain sight for a lengthy period of time. If it has an annual calendar on it, the consumer is likely going to put it on their fridge or filing cabinet simply as a reference for that calendar year.
What about a list of local emergency contacts? You’d almost feel guilty when you receive it in your mailbox, if you don’t post it in your kitchen, “just in case”.
So now, every time any person in the household is walking by their fridge, they either consciously or subconsciously see that HVAC company’s name. On top of that, the company adds an offer for $50 off the first service call, which adds extra incentive to give them a try when, not if, they have an issue. Out of sight is out of mind. This magnet is the complete opposite!
This same concept works well in any industry; Restaurants, gyms, plumbers, travel agencies, dentists, veterinarians and much more. It qualifies for USPS full service direct mail, EDDM mailings, and even works great when simply printed and handed out at business level.
The bottom line is that for less than the cost of posting a billboard for one month that almost no one will react to, you can put a magnet message in front of 10,000 households for a year or more and ensure a higher return on your advertising investment.
The real bottom line is that you’ll grow your sales.
Looking to make your next direct mail campaign stand out from the competition?
Contact me for a free consultation.
Dave Scatchard – Chief Operating Officer.