Imagine if you will that you are back in the old days of the wild, wild west. The bad guys have you pinned down and boxed in within a canyon. Gun fire blazes all around you and bullets are whizzing by your head. You want to fire back, so you reach for your trusty rifle but its empty. You then reach for your ole’ stand by, the six shooter, but it’s also empty. In your nervous haste, you look everywhere for a bullet. Lo and behold, you find one, load it in your gun’s chamber and then fire! Your bullet hits its mark and you save the day. You’re a hero!!!
This story begs a question… If you come right down to it and you’ve only got one marketing bullet to fire for your jewelry store to bring in business, what would it be? Radio? TV? Social Media? E-mail Newsletters? Perhaps your answer might be different than mine, but in talking to jeweler after jeweler, I’ve come to one conclusion:
If it gets right down where the rubber meets the road and you’ve only a limited amount of marketing budget to work with, the one bullet I recommend would most certainly be Direct Mail.
Why do you say that, Bill? Simple – direct mail is one of the quickest returns on investment because you can target your client. Instead of the “Spray & Pray” shotgun approach, consider direct mail as you would a sniper who uses a rifle to hit the target he most aims at.
So what are the keys to making direct mail the most effective media marketing tool? Again its simple:
• Collect the names, addresses, e-mails, birthdays & anniversaries of all your clients
• Send your clients specially targeted offers on those special occasions
• Segment your mailing list by frequency of purchase, total amount purchased and purchases made of certain lines you carry. Then send each segment a special offer.
• Use a combination of postcards, letters, tubes, etc. so as not to become predictable to your clients. Google companies like Megabucks Marketing or 3D Mail Results for ideas.
• By all means stand out in the crowd! You want your mailing to hit your client’s “A” pile, not “File 13.” Use unusual size mail, different colors, teaser copy on the outside of an envelope to invoke curiosity to open your mailing.
But what if I don’t have a mailing list already? Again, that’s simple. There are several companies who, by demographics, will provide you a mailing list tailor made for your area and situation. My friend James Porte of Porte Marketing Group/Target Mailers has assisted me on several occasions with a targeted mailing list and I’m sure he’d be glad to help you. By all means, start collecting customer info today.
I realize that there are many different ways of marketing and others may feel differently than I do about direct mail. However, I still feel it’s the best investment for the money and arguably one of the most targetable methods available. If it were me, and I was hunkered down underneath my horse and wagon needing to fire back, I know which “bullet” I would reach for!
Bill Warren is president of The Gold Mine Fine Jewelry & Gifts, Inc., a successful jewelry store in the Hudson, NC. He recently formed Warren Marketing Systems, a company dedicated to helping small to medium size jewelers achieve success through innovative marketing. He regularly speaks at jewelry shows and conventions and also is a member of the Marketing Wizards Alliance. If you would like to receive more money making ideas like those in this article, consider subscribing to the Marketing Wizards Alliance Newsletter. To do so or to contact Bill, call 828-729-1020 or e-mail goldman86@bellsouth.net.
