• 30 August 2021
• Alex Penfield

An Expert Guide to Direct Mail Advertising for Your Small Business

Direct mail advertising has long been an effective way for businesses to reach a wide range of customers. But since the advent of the internet, the traditional ways of promoting information have seemingly taken a back seat to online advertising, with companies favoring the instant gratification of the online marketing world. And while it may seem like the whole world’s gone digital, there are still a lot of pros to keeping it old school when it comes to communicating with your customers, especially as a small business owner.

If you are wondering if direct mail marketing may be right for your company and are searching for tips to help you get started, you’ve come to the right place! The UPS Store® is an expert in direct mail advertising for small business and provides a variety of options to fit your unique business needs. When done right, direct mail advertising can have a big impact on your small business’s bottom line.

Direct mail advertising doesn’t have to be intimidating. Let’s start with the basics:

What is direct mail advertising?
Simply put, direct mail advertising is a way of communicating with your customers that involves delivering physical correspondence directly into their hands.

Why is direct mail marketing effective for small business?
Using direct mail marketing to share a relevant message to the right place, at the right time, in front of the right person can provide a variety of advantages to a small business looking to make a splash and get noticed in their industry or area of business. Below are a few of the reasons this kind of marketing could work for your company.

It can be cost-effective
Direct mail advertising has many different price points depending on level of customization, printing costs and number of pieces. If budget is a concern, start small with a simple flyer — you may be surprised by the impact it can have.

It can be less competitive
As anyone who spends time on the internet knows, these days it’s nearly impossible to avoid ads, banners, and pop-ups. This type of digital advertising is less geographically targeted, making it tough for local businesses to gain traction. Direct mail advertising allows your business to dodge the cluttered internet marketing space in favor of something a bit more nostalgic, local, and targeted.

It’s memorable
Unlike a fleeting pop-up ad, direct mail is tangible and has real staying power. Whether on a countertop or pinned to a bulletin board for future reference, your direct mail communication has a larger shot at hanging around and making a lasting impact on your customers. For real sticking power, consider things like a branded magnet as part of your direct mail marketing collateral.

It’s customizable
Direct mail advertising is not one-size-fits-all. Communications can range from simple flyers to fancy mailers and are endlessly customizable. Color, font and type of collateral (e.g., pamphlets, postcards, booklets) are all choices that will help to create a custom look and feel for your business communication. Consider the unique needs of your small business when deciding how to approach customization — sometimes a simple flyer or pamphlet is all you need to grab the attention of your target customer.

How can I get started?
While organizing a direct mail advertising effort can seem like a large undertaking — especially for a small business owner — there are ways to tailor and scale your outreach to work within your specific needs. This is where The UPS Store comes in. The UPS Store is an expert when it comes to direct mail marketing for small businesses and offers two programs to choose from when planning, designing, and deploying your direct mail marketing campaign.

Every Door Direct Mail®: This USPS® program provides total market coverage, making it easy for your small business to reach your customers without having to do all the legwork yourself. With Every Door Direct Mail, there are no addresses, names, or postage to manage. Simply choose an area you’d like to target, and The UPS Store will handle the logistics of posting and delivering your direct mail communication to every address in the neighborhood. Talk about full service!

Targeted Direct Mail: For small businesses looking to reach a specific list of customers, our targeted direct mail service helps you put together a focused direct mail campaign from start to finish, targeting your exact pool of customers with customized communication.

Direct mail advertising can be a useful tool to grow and get more traffic to your small business. The possibilities are endless when it comes to customization and communication, and the physical nature of direct mail means it will have staying power with the customers you care about most. From designing to delivering and everything in between, The UPS Store has what your small business needs to get your direct mail advertising campaign up and running.