If I told you about a local business that\u2019s seen 239% growth since the pandemic, what channel would you guess they were leading with? Paid ads? TikTok? Blood magic?<\/p>\n
If I said \u201cprint mail,\u201d you\u2019d probably think blood magic was more likely. But last year, 84% of marketers said <\/strong>direct mail had the highest ROI of <\/strong>channel<\/em><\/strong><\/a> they use. \ud83e\udd2f<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n When I heard that stat, I knew I had to find an expert who could explain it. What I found was a master who not only knows direct mail \u2014 she used it to build her own 9-figure business.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Fun fact:<\/strong> Joy has an 8 ft. hydroponic tower in her office so that she and her staff can regularly harvest a healthy lunch. (\u201cIt\u2019s been such a hit, I hired someone to grow food on PostcardMania\u2019s property. We have a bunch of huge grow boxes with herbs, lettuces, and tomatoes.\u201d)<\/p>\n Claim to fame: <\/strong>Created a business that\u2019s grown to almost 400 employees and $100 million annually \u2014 without any investors or angels \u2014 simply because she couldn\u2019t find a postcard company she liked.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aPeople have so much digital advertising fatigue,\u201d says Joy Gendusa. \u201cJust the popups and the zillion emails. I don’t know about you, but I bulk-delete emails in the morning. I just go, \u2018Brrrrrrrr,\u2019\u201d she gestures with a finger going down the list.<\/p>\n And the stats back her up, with 73% of desktop users citing online ads as their number one frustration<\/a> in a recent survey by The Harris Poll. And almost 1 in 3 internet users use an ad blocker<\/a>.<\/p>\n But that doesn\u2019t mean a full return to the days of the Pony Express. Gendusa shares some tips for making mailers more modern:<\/p>\n Add a QR code that sends recipients to the same landing page as your digital ads to create a cohesive experience. \u201cWe\u2019ve integrated with a number of CRMs, so a salesperson can do a one-off postcard without leaving their keyboard,\u201d she says. \u201cThey just go in there, type a message, and the card is pre-designed.\u201d<\/p>\n That means you can do lookalike campaigns, retargeting groups, and any number of fancy shenanigans you usually associate with digital marketing.<\/p>\n\n It\u2019s time for some inward reflection, marketers. That digital ad fatigue? We did that. So it\u2019s critically important not to fall back into spammy habits with your mailers.<\/p>\n So I asked Gendusa how marketers should think about a quality piece of mail.<\/p>\n \u201cYour headline should instantly communicate what the product or service is, or what problem it solves, without the person having to think at all,\u201d she says. Clarity > cleverness.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the graphic should back that up.\u201d So, say you\u2019re a dentist: The headline might mention clean, healthy teeth, and you\u2019d use an image of a beaming, beautiful smile.<\/p>\n \u201cYou also want to have a bright, non-matching color for your CTA.\u201d A non-matching color will draw the reader\u2019s eye to the CTA \u2014 whether they want to look or not.<\/p>\n \u201cDesigners hate this rule,\u201d she laughs. \u201cThey hate it so much. But we insist.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, don\u2019t forget the web address or QR code.<\/p>\n\nJoy Gendusa<\/h2>\n
Founder and CEO, PostcardMania<\/a>
\n<\/h3>\nLesson 1: Primp and preen for the mail gaze.<\/h2>\n
\n Use a custom URL just for your mailer. That way you can track what traffic comes from your print ads just like any digital channel.
\n On the back end, you can even integrate your direct mail service with your CRM to automate personalized print campaigns. <\/p>\nLesson 2: Can the spam.<\/h2>\n