Make the most of your pre-show direct mail

Include a “Call to Action”

First, determine the goal for your mailing: Is it orders? Getting buyers to your booth? Collecting information from buyers?

Once you’ve decided on a goal, you can then develop an appropriate call to action:

• Bring this card to Booth #1234 for 10% off your order of $500 or more (Goal: Orders)
• Bring this card to Booth #1234 for your FREE gift. No purchase necessary. (Goal: Booth Traffic)
• Visit Booth #1234 and enter to win a free iPod.  (Goal: Collecting information, provided you require the buyer to fill out a small form or submit their business card to enter)

A call to action is a VITAL aspect of your mail piece. Without it, it is impossible to measure the success of your mailing.

Don’t forget the details

Your mailer should always include the following:

-           Company Name

-           Booth Number

-           Show name, dates and location

-           Your phone number

-           Your email address & website

Ensure your piece is mailable

If you are sending postcards, be sure the mailer side has a sufficient amount of white space to affix a 2 5/8” label. Leave at least the entire right half completely blank – postal regulations require no text, graphics or color.

Manage your expectations

Even with daily work on updating and maintaining lists of active and prospective buyers, you can count on a certain number of returned or undeliverable pieces (these will only come back to you if you include your return address).

The average response rate for a direct mail campaign is 1-3 percent. If you send out 1,000 pieces, you should expect to see 10-30 responses if you include an appropriate call to action (if you don’t have a call to action, you’ll never know if you’re getting a response).