Seems like every day internet sites like Google and Facebook stick ads in front of us claiming to show someone how to get rich ridiculously quick as an internet marketer. It’s enough to make you think the internet is the only way to go.So why do you keep seeing so many ads mailed to you via the US Postal Service? Because they work. The internet has been a tremendous boost to mankind, but human nature has not changed. People still read ads in the mail and if the ad is persuasive enough, people buy from those ads. In fact, if you talk to a lot of the successful internet marketers, they will tell you they learned their copywriting skills from the masters of direct mail. That tells you that it is the message that matters, not just the communication medium.
Think of the billions of websites that clog up the internet. Google or some other search engine may lead your prospects closer to your website, but there is no guarantee. Those motivated sellers you are targeting can have hundreds of thousands to millions of results from a search. You are relying on people with potential deals to type in the right search terms, and pick your site from the competition.
Direct mail puts your message right in the prospect’s hands. Pretty much guaranteed. It’s your job to craft a message well enough to keep that piece of mail in their hands. It’s been said that people sort their mail over the trash can. People also hold on to ads that make offers that appeal to them. If you find the right prospect and make an offer that resonates, direct mail will complete the connection.
The fact we write an article asking whether direct mail is still effective means many people are turning to the internet to advertise. That’s where your competition is going. Real estate investors and businesses in general are following the stampede over to the internet. Guess what? That means less competition in the snail mail arena. Your letter or postcard could very possibly stand out on the kitchen table of a family facing foreclosure. That same family may be looking at 5 pages of ads on Google saying “We Buy Houses” and have no idea which one to pick.
This article is not to trash internet advertising. There is a reason so many people are using the internet to advertise. It works as well. Just like direct mail. Any advertiser worth their salt will tell you they have to test everything to find what works. Some of your prospects are internet junkies and believe wholeheartedly in a paperless society. Other prospects hate how everyone is on their phone all the time.
The internet also has tremendous tools for finding out information about your potential customers. You can find out all about their likes, desires and needs. This information can be extremely useful when you craft your direct mail campaigns.
Limiting your advertising to just one medium or another may be limiting your business. Think of it this way. In the pre-internet era did it made sense to say “I’m just a yellow pages marketer”?
Direct mail has proven it can work over and over again. It just makes sense to keep using it.
