Reputable Mail Companies-How to Find Them

Many of the dealers I work with have told me lately that they've received more sales calls regarding direct mail lately than ever before. Automotive Direct Marketing providers are directly linked to the Automotive Industry, so we, like you have seen the impact on our businesses.

As much as I would love it if everyone who read this blog contacted me for their mail needs, I also realize some of you are just trying to figure out who is legit in this game and who isn't. Here are just a few red flags and questions to ask to separate the quality from the...not.

How long have they been in business? and How long have they been in business under their current name?

There are a lot of businesses that have "closed" under AG scrutiny & lawsuits and have reopened under new names. The names have changed but the people haven't.

What's the level of professionalism with this company?

If they don't have a website, or any marketing material, or even a solid address--any or all of these could be a red flag. Professional companies have marketing collateral, samples, desks and a website. That's not to say that some professional companies aren't smaller and may have fewer resources than some of the big boys--but taking the time to do a little research in this area is time well spent.

How do they feel about providing you with postal verification?

Some companies try to get around sending postal documentation to their customers. These are your basic documents from the post office that says how much mail was sent and how much money was paid in postage. If they are strange about providing these up front-that's probably not good.

Where do they fall on the price line?

I know you don't want to hear this but cheaper isn't always better. If they are considerably less expensive than anyone else you've spoken to, ask more questions. With the economy like it is some companies are truly just trying to stay in business--for some that could mean selling their product at cost to keep people & machines working, for others that could mean telling you 30,000 pieces of mail are being sent out and sending out 10,000.

Have they challenged any of your ideas?

You know cars. I know mail, and so do some other mail professionals. Those of us that do this to help dealers are not afraid to tell you when we feel something is a bad idea or to suggest something different to help increase your results. We don't do this to be know it alls-we do it to assist you. It's your choice if you want to listen to us :) Beware the mail company that doesn't have any insights to share. They may only be in it for one sale and one pay day.

What does your gut tell you? Intuition is our best friend when it comes to things like this. If you don't trust the person on the other end of the phone (or on the other side of your desk), why would you hand them a check? If something doesn't feel quite right it probably isn't.

There are many, reputable, quality mail providers out there. Go with someone that has a proven track record, industry knowledge and plenty of references for you to contact.

This post is intended to educate. By no means am I implying a company that falls into one or more of these categories is practicing illegal or immoral business. This isn't directed at any particular company-please don't send me hate mail :) Thank you!

Where is Automotive Marketing headed?

First, a note from your local newspaper...

Hi Mr. Dealer,

It's your old pal here, the local daily paper. I feel like we don't spend as much time together as we used to. In fact, I feel that way about a lot of my old friends. Many homes have cancelled their subscriptions to me in the past year or so--something about the economy and they get their news from other sources. Others still pick me up off the driveway but I lay unopened on their kitchen table until they eventually throw me away. But, as we both know, you have to advertise in the local paper-what else will help keep your name in the public eye?

Sincerely,

Your Town Daily

Daily and Sunday Circulation Declines Percent declines in circulation by six-month period

See the complete story with this graphic here.

In all sincerity I do believe there is a place for ALL marketing-the big media stuff, the more targeted messages, online, on the air and in the mailbox...heck even to your phone. However, it's time to move past the 1980's in many cases.

Every day I talk to someone who let's me know how many years longer than me they've been in the business and how in the glory days all a successful sale needed was 100,000 newspaper inserts. They didn't even need prizes to get 1000 people to the lot. We are so far from the glory days that this type of advertising is an antique.

So where is Automotive Marketing headed? In the future it's going to be about personalized specific messages & relationships. As someone who has built a career off of saturation type-flood the market mail-it's a weird thing to say but it's the truth.

Over the next few days I'll be going through a few of these new ideas & technologies. Some, I hope you will have at least heard of--maybe you're already using them, and hopefully there will be one or new idea for you to check out.

In the meantime...

What is one change you've made this year with your marketing that has increased your response?

Did you know you can target a saturation list?

I'm still surprised about how many people don't know about the new possibilities with your good old fashioned saturation/current res list. Early this year several new functions were made available and they are really increasing the response on these mailers, and can also affect the quality of traffic coming in if they are used correctly. The first new addition is a "names where available" feature. This does cost a fraction of a penny more to use, but I just throw it in on all mailers-it's worth it for the increased results. Basically an average of 80% of the list will have the person's name instead of just "current resident" or "future satisfied customer," etc. We can pull a list count ahead of time so you'll know the exact amount of names available in your market. It's typically pretty close to 80% though. So what does that mean for you!? For one thing it's more personal to the person getting the mailer, which gains their attention and makes them more likely to respond. Secondly, if you like to do the flashy mailers with the person's name all over it (aka Variable Data) this makes that such a more affordable option! You no longer have to pay the postage hike and additional charge for a names list. Brilliant! Finally the other fantastic new option on the saturation lists are...average demographics! We all know there are certain areas in every market that aren't worth your marketing dollar when it comes to different media. This list now allows you to target parts of zip codes and decide whether or not to use them. Each zip is broken into carrier routes (for example your mail carrier delivers to your neighborhood, the one across the street and the one down the road), we can then look at the average age, income and home value for each route. It's a great way to really target your market without paying for the pricey lists and postage. To my knowledge this should be available to all list providers. If you haven't heard about it from your direct mail consultant, it's definitely worth a quick conversation. If you're look for a new consultant feel free to contact me. Happy Friday, have a fantastic weekend!

Elections Slow Mail Delivery--ATTN Swing States!

I don't have long today just wanted to get this information out. We've identified three states where election mail seems to be having an impact on automotive mail being delivered. The states are: Ohio, Florida & Pennsylvania. They have been designated as "swing states" by the candidates so political mail is, and has been increasing. Please discuss this with your Direct Mail Consultant if you're considering doing a campaign.