The United States Post Office in the past had some trouble with
its finances and their solution was to raise the postal rates.
Whether or not you agree with this approach to trying to stay
in business, like the weather and government in general, it's
something you have to live with.
Many companies have used this as a reason to send out fewer or
smaller mailings in an attempt to keep their costs down. Here's
a quote from an issue of Direct Marketing News:
"Despite a string of healthy annual increases, the growth of
direct mail expenditures is expected to slow over the next four
years. Direct mail continued to grow in 2001 but slowed because
of the anthrax scare", the study said.
The study also said, "Direct mail will continue to expand
during the forecast period but at a slower pace than in the
past because of the emergence of e-mail marketing and postal
rate hikes, which will force marketers to limit mailings."
The question is: should you agree with this and follow the
trend, or should you turn it to your advantage? Just think,
with fewer mailing pieces arriving in your customers' or
prospects' mailboxes, your glossy, full-color postcards are
going to stand out even more and have a greater chance of
producing the desired response.
When you start looking at what you have to gain by increasing
the amount of direct mail marketing you do and what you have to
lose by cutting back, there really isn't a question as to which
way to go.
Of course you should be smart about your mailings. Make sure
they are really well targeted and put a little more thought
into the design and content so as to make sure they impinge.
That just makes sense.
So while others are cutting their own throats by cutting back
on direct mailing, you can benefit by increasing yours and
sending your postcards into a less heavily glutted marketplace
where they will receive more attention. Win-win.
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Joy Gendusa
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