How to Use Direct Mail to Your Advantage
Direct, or "saturation" mailing is a growing advertising medium—especially amid insurance professionals—to gain local recognition and find new prospects.
According to statistics, 65 percent of the mail we receive is part of direct mailing. And, while consumers have long since coined direct mail as "junk mail", done correctly, direct mail can attract consumers—boosting your sales and maintaining a steady stream of prospects.
To help you make the most out of your direct mailing campaigns, we at InsureMe have highlighted some tips from the pros, giving you an inexpensive way to market your business!
Obtaining Contact Information
For many agents, saturation mailing coincides perfectly with customer growth and retention. But how can you obtain accurate information for direct mail campaigns?
There are many companies and online services like SalesVantage.com and MelissaData.com that, for a fee, will provide you with downloadable mailing lists based on the geographic location you select. Most of these services allow you pinpoint exact locations, allowing you to find data by ZIP code, city, county or radius.
Your lists can also be purchased in "walk sequence", which is the sequence in which the carrier delivers the mail. While it may not seem like a worthwhile purchase, presorting promotional mailings warrants a significant discount from the United States Postal Service. In fact, presorted mailings receive an average postage of 12 cents, down from the regular cost of first-class postage—a hefty savings when you calculate the cost to send thousands of promotional mailings.
Generally, all contact lists are addressed to "Current Resident" by default, but you can personalize them for an added price. Experts agree that this added cost is worthwhile to engage customers—the money saved on postage should allow you to tailor your cards to each consumer.
Creating Worthwhile Mailings
Remember that the objective of your direct mailings is to engage the consumer and spark interest in your services.
Hook recipients by advertising "free health insurance quotes" or "free consultation", or posing questions like, "Are you paying too much for car insurance?" AgencyIdeas.com has also suggested using graphics and statistics to reach consumers. Their promotional example included a piece for flood insurance, highlighting the top three things that consumers should know about flood insurance, followed by the agency's contact information and location.
While some of these methods border on scare tactics, your mailings should make a strong impression on the consumer and prompt them to seek your services.
You can create your own direct mailings through software like Adobe's Photo Shop Elements, but the vast majority of agents rely on outside companies like DreamFactoryGroup.com and BestPrinting.com to create professional and creative promotional mailings.
Getting Your Promotions to the Right People
Remember that you are able to target the locations of your choice when you order your contact information. According to a recent article in Health Insurance Underwriter magazine, most clients live within two to five miles of their insurance agency. Keep this in mind when you order your prospect list—sending your promotional mailings to the areas surrounding your agency will boost name recognition in your area.
Once you've targeted your desired neighborhoods and printed your materials, the mailing needs to be brought to the route delivery destination unit. The delivery destination unit is the post office that actually delivers your mail to the targeted routes—ensuring fast delivery of your materials. To learn more about your delivery destination unit, contact your local post office for details.
Get Started Today!
Direct mailing is a marketing medium devoid of any real competition—and insurance professionals are taking notice. By creating worthwhile promotional mailings for consumers, you can reach new prospects and avoid being deemed as "junk mail" and tossed out with the evening garbage.
This information was provided by InsureMe, the leader in online insurance leads for the insurance industry. Since 1993, InsureMe has helped thousands of insurance agents succeed in the insurance business by providing top quality leads that are both detailed and affordable. For more information on InsureMe leads, please visit our agent Web site at agent.insureme.com.
