This weekend will see the 30th anniversary of e-mal spam and it got us thinking about how similar traditional untargeted mass mailing campaigns is to the highly annoying electronic version. So many marketers give in the to lure of untargeted mass mailings, which is quite unfortunate because most of today's consumers have neither the time or the inclination to sift through all the content to find a few pieces that might be relevant to them.
Today's consumers are already swimming in a sea of messages from a plethora of media sources...constantly hounded and pursued by countless brands. To even get noticed and to avoid wasting valuable advertising dollars, it's crucial to consider the demographics of your audience. It would not help you, for example, to advertise mortgage loans to a community dominated by senior citizens -- the majority of which would have likely paid off such expenses long ago.
But, beyond that, there is still the difficulty of making your direct mailing campaign avoid the stigma of junk mail. Including a relevant promotional gift can going a long way towards removing that negative association. With the inclusion of a promotional giveaway, you're offering something of value right from the start -- something that they may enjoy, in exchange for their time and consideration on whatever offer you may be making. Such a crucial distinction can make the difference between your message getting through or simply being discarded unread.
