Direct Mail Marketing for the Holidays – Service Industry Benefits

Oct 8, 2021

If we’ve learned anything from the last 18 months it’s that marketing strategies have to adapt at the drop of a hat. At a time when consumers are being flooded with digital ads, pop-ups, email blasts, and other generic messaging, personalization and one-on-one engagement is what our target audience is craving. Another interesting shift in the consumer market that all businesses should be taking note of is timing. Direct mail marketing for the holidays covers all your business bases; the ability to personalize your offers, deliver special deals, drive website traffic via QR codes or pURLs, encourage “feet in the door” and actual in-store visits plus and, mainly, to have the chance to get your advertising and marketing in front of consumers in a timely fashion.

39% of consumers try a business for the first time because of direct mail, and 42% of recipients read or scan the direct mail they receive. Those numbers can’t be ignored. When it comes to service-based industries, word-of-mouth advertisement is your best tool, but expanding your customer base can provide an extra boost. That’s where direct mail comes in. It’s that time of year when most folks are gearing up for holiday planning, seasonal shopping, and you guessed it, winter services. Getting your business in front of new potential clients, especially in your local community, can be difficult.

Getting Your Company in Front of Consumers Before the Holidays

For those business owners who’ve jumped right into the digital abyss that is social media, email marketing, and even Google PPC ads, your business may have cast aside more traditional tactics like direct mail or other forms of direct marketing. They’re a bit more time-consuming to organize, but they don’t have to be! Pairing with a full-service direct mail provider like ProList means your organization can leave the execution to the experts.

This is the perfect time of year to get your direct mail pieces into the hands of local potential clients! Service industry direct mail gives you the opportunity to get your distinct and engaging messaging to your target audience in a format they are more likely to engage with. Service-based businesses like winterization services, event planners, and caterers can build true brand differentiation with direct mail campaigns.

When it comes to the holidays, now more than ever it’s imperative to strike while the iron is hot. October and early November are predicted to be primetime consumer spending windows this year, and this statistic isn’t just about gifts. It includes service-based needs and purchases like lawn winterization, gutter cleaning, house cleaning, catering, decorating, and event planning for holiday parties…the list goes on and on. By maximizing your reach with proven effective direct mail campaigns, you can easily expand your potential new client pool by thousands.

Service Industry Direct Mail Marketing For the Holidays

Now let’s look at the why’s and how’s. While all business owners have lots on their plates, small business owners have even more. A small business owner always wears a lot of hats, from being the bookkeeper to the janitor, the marketer to the salesperson to the receptionist – your time is limited and ProList understands that. One of the most important benefits of employing a full-service direct marketing service provider is the ability to easily execute a variety of campaigns, plus integrate them across other marketing platforms and methods.

ProList will take your existing customer or account data and work with it. Or we’ll help you find the right lists to rent or purchase, or perhaps even work with you to do a geo-targeted campaign. We’ll not only sit down and help you understand exactly what direct mail marketing is, but we’ll also help you decide if a more direct targeting method is appropriate or if an Every Door Direct Mail® campaign makes the most sense for your business. Our experienced staff will even help you best understand how to make the most out of your budget and explain which cost-saving elements of your campaign are best suited to deliver the very best message to new potential clients.

Elements like QR codes for direct mail designs are a great way to help track how effective your local business campaigns are.

Better still, ProList will help you add key integrated marketing tactics into your mailers to help drive engagement up, which can help achieve an even better return on investment. QR codes can be added for a coupon or even a free perk when utilizing your business’s service. Think along the lines of “Scan this QR code to receive 10% off your first house cleaning service when you pay!”. pURLs, or personalized URLs, are unique personalized web pages that help capture consumer data. They’re incredibly useful to track how effective your mail campaigns are. These are unique links that can be added to your direct mail pieces and are set up to cater specific messaging based on the needs of your campaign. Imagine scanning a QR code on your smartphone, and it opens up a link to a web page that outlines need-to-know information for your event planning business’ holiday pricing and availability, plus gives visitors the option to book an event online – right there! That’s what integrated marketing is about. Streamlined messaging and real-time interaction that helps businesses with sales and lead generation.

Of course, there are countless other methods, tactics, and elements that can be added to your unique campaign to set it up for success, but the proof is ultimately in the numbers. With up to 90% of direct mail being opened or viewed, in comparison to only 20-30% of emails, it’s hard to ignore the potential impact a mailed campaign can have. If your business is ready to say YES to direct mail, give us a call at 1-888-PROLIST. You can also fill out a contact form on our website here.