The AlphaGraphics Direct Marketing Survival Guide

The Direct
Marketing
Survival
Guide

THE DIRECT Marketing SURVIVAL GUIDE

When it comes to local marketing, it’s survival
of the fittest. Knowing the lay of the land and
having the skills to execute an effective campaign
can make all the difference in the constantly
evolving world of marketing. Don’t get left out
in the cold! Read on to find out how to survive in
the wild world of direct marketing.

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KNOW THE LAY OF THE LAND
choose your demographic wisely

The first thing any survivalist
will tell you to do is to know
the lay of the land. Knowing
who your audience is and where
they are located and using that
information to your benefit is key.
The difference between great
conversions and no conversions
could come down to targeting the
right age groups, genders, and
incomes.

While you evaluate your
demographics, the next step in any
survivalist’s guide is to evaluate
potential threats or opportunities.

3

Set your snares

build your database

Knowing which types of snares and how to set them is an
art that can determine life or death in the wilderness.
Not having a lead generation tool in place can be just
as detrimental to your business. There are several
methods out there that can help you build your customer
database. Choose one that will best suite your needs.
When choosing your lead generation tool, ask yourself
what will you be doing with these leads? What information
are you wanting to gather with your lead gen tool? What
marketing channels will you most frequently be using?

4

Watch out for Wildlife

know your competition

Any good survivalist knows that understanding friend and foe in
the wilderness is key. It’s no different when it comes to running a
successful direct marketing campaign. You have to understand your
competition, know how they are marketing, and use it to your advantage.
You also need to understand your audience. What do they respond to?
When are they most likely to need your services? What companies do
they work for and what types of jobs do they have? Using this data, you
can determine when and how to run the most effective campaign.

5

pack your backpack

find your marketing channels

Your backpack is your lifeline in the
wilderness and you want to make
sure you are stocking it with the
essentials. In direct marketing there
are a number of tools or marketing
channels that you can use to
generate more business. Get familiar
with the different channels and
decide on which channel(s) you will
add to your marketing backpack. A big
deciding factor will largely depend
on your audience and their behavior.

Which marketing channel(s) will you
choose on your next campaign?
• Direct Mail
• Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)
• Dimensional Mail
• Promotional Products
• Email Marketing
• Personalized Landing Pages
• Cross-Media Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

6

GATHER SUPPLIES

know your paper types

Now that you’ve investigated the other woodland creatures, it’s time to worry
about two things: fire and shelter. When choosing a traditional marketing
method you should know what paper types you will use to grab customers
attention (your fire) and how you will package your direct mail piece (your
shelter). Understanding the different paper types can be the difference between
getting leads and ending up in the junk mail pile. Thick paper stocks can get more
attention for your message…and using dimensional mail (interesting packages or
pop-up mailers for instance) increases open and response rates drastically.

7

START YOUR FIRE

dont forget calls to action

Once you’ve found the right
material for your shelter and
fire, you need to find a way to
spark your fire. A great call
to action (CTA) can provide the
spark your campaign needs
to succeed and create leads.
The right CTA will spread and
create a very successful lead
generation campaign.

The more you nurture these
leads the larger your
response will become.

You will want to use CTA’s
that relate to your audience.
The more specific your CTAs
are to your target market’s
needs the better.

8

SEND UP A SIGNAL

keep your messaging simple

Don’t over-complicate the
information on your direct
marketing piece. Think of your
messaging as a smoke signal.
Get your message across, but
don’t waste precious space
with filler content. Tell
customers why they should
choose your business and
what you can offer them.
Many experts say to write a
call to action, write out your
point, then delete half of it.
Customers have been known
to respond better to quick,
consumable content.

9

FIND THE HIGH GROUND

use dazzling imagery

After a marketing survivalist has established
the necessities, sometimes it’s nice to find a
good spot to take in the view. Using dazzling
imagery in your direct marketing campaigns
is the equivalent to seeking out a scenic spot.
It provides a striking view and creates an
emotional response. Whether it’s scenery or
a deliverable, the thought process should be
the same.

With these tips, you can become a direct
marketing survivalist who can build a
fantastic direct marketing campaign from
the ground up that invites response and
encourages conversions.

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[email protected]

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208.522.2679

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