Marketing Mix

Direct Mail – Lead Generation Mailers


How to use direct mail to generate more leads, better leads …

Direct mail can be used for many purposes, but the most common purpose is lead generation. We create lead generation mailers.

Lead generation mailersLead generation is a marketing campaign designed to get your target audience to identify themselves as interested prospects. This allows your sales people to focus their time on real leads instead of the entire audience.

We can help improve your lead generation program in several ways:

  • with more leads (higher response rates)
  • with better leads (higher conversion rates)
  • with more consistent lead flow (matched to your sales needs)

Here’s a simplified process for direct mail lead generation

Step 1 – Choose a lead generation mailer format

You have many choices here.  Understand that each mailer comes with different advantages and different costs (meaning production costs).

  • Letter mailers
  • Postcard mailers
  • Self-mailers
  • Survey mailers
  • Dimensional mailers

Step 2 – Start with a sales lead magnet

Before you begin developing your lead generation mailer, you will need to find or develop an offer. While some offers could be a company brochure or information kit, the best offers in terms of generating response are what we a lead magnet.

A lead magnet is an informational/educational brochure, booklet or white paper designed to provide prospects with useful advice. It is not a sales brochure.

Lead magnets work as lead generation offers because they help to identify people who have a specific interest or are dealing with a specific problem. Not every response will be a serious prospect of course. Some will just want the lead magnet, but many others will be interested in what you sell.


Step 3 – Create your mailer

Whichever mailer you select, you need to think about your message, and who’s going to write and design your mailer

With a lead generation mailer, your best bet is to offer your lead magnet (see Step 2).  If your lead magnet is appealing, it will generate leads for you.  To maximize response, promote the lead magnet from the very beginning of your message.

Step 4 – Add a landing page (and other response channels)

With any direct mail campaign, you want to give prospects an easy way to respond. The easier the process, the more responses you can expect.

A landing page is a dedicated web page that is focused on your direct mail offer or lead magnet. It is also a page that contains a signup form which is required to acquire the offer.

Of course with direct mail, you can also allow prospects to respond by reply mail, phone or fax.


Step 5 – Add a sales page

When prospects finish with your landing page, they will be taken to what we all know as a Thank You page.  This page can be much more than just a one sentence “thank you, check your inbox.”

With some effort, your Thank You page could become an extensive sales page where you can make a much longer sales pitch and request for the next step in your sales process.  Remember, these people have already showed some interest in what you offer.  They are more than likely to want to know more.

Step 6 – Follow up with drip email

Most prospects who respond to your direct mail campaign will not be ready to buy right away. It may take several days, weeks, months or even a year or more before they are ready.

That’s why it’s so important to stay in touch – so that you are always “top of mind.”

The best way to stay in touch with your leads is with email – either an email newsletter or an email drip campaign.


Learn more or request an estimate

To learn more or request an estimate, please contact Bob McCarthy at 508-473-8643 or send an email to bob@mccarthyandking.com

>>>Also see Choose a Direct Mail Format