Direct Mail Demystified for Solopreneurs

Much of my work as a copywriter and marketing adviser is for mid-sized businesses in the $2-20 million range.

And a lot of that work is direct mail: lead-generation pieces and sales letters to acquire new clients.

But there's a BIG place in my heart for the solopreneur -- the one-man band or one-woman army who fights every day to earn a good living to support their family.

Maybe it's because I've been a solopreneur myself for 16 years. I understand solopreneurs, I empathize with solopreneur marketing problems, and I want to see them do better.

So it kills me to see so many solopreneurs buy into the myth that direct mail is too expensive or complicated to grow their business. Nonsense.

The same principles my bigger clients use to rake in 6 and 7 figures with direct mail can ABSOLUTELY work for smaller businesses. In fact, done right, direct mail can deliver clients on demand for almost any solopreneur -- whether you sell a product, a service, or your consulting.

First, some unsettling facts about email ...

One in seven commercial emails never makes it to the recipient. Worse, at least 30% of those 85% emails that get delivered ... are deleted unread. And all current trends for the effectiveness of email are negative (sources: Return Path and The Freedman Company).

By contrast, direct mail is one of the most effective ways to acquire new clients. Perhaps because it's so much easier to stand out in a mailbox compared to an email inbox (or Twitter feed, or Facebook news feed).

"You can send targeted, relevant direct mail to anyone with a mailing address. People generally trust direct mail, know how to respond to a direct mail offer, and don't need the  technological savvy required by e-mail or social media platforms. These are the major reasons direct mail works," according to Clif McDougall, VP of Business Development, Com-Pak Services.

Finally, "direct mail is 10 to 30 times more effective than e-mail," according to The Direct Marketing Association. In a study, 34 out of 1,000 customers responded to direct mail, while just one out of 1,000 responded to an e-mail.

In the next few posts, I'll share with you examples of direct-mail that's working right now for solopreneurs.

But for today, ask yourself 3 questions:

1) Do you honestly wish you got more email or less?

2) Do you think your prospects want more email or less?

3) If you're leaving direct mail out of your marketing mix, how much money do you think you're leaving on the table?

Meanwhile, dp you own a business?

Want more clients?

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