Entrepreneur's Journal: Done Right, Mailers Can Get Results

Take a look at the case of Joan & Ed's Deli. In business for more than 30 years, the restaurant had built a list of 2,000 frequent customers and wanted to provide them gift certificates. By using a mailer, there was an impressive return of over 800% and the response rate was 11%.

"Until recently," said Mindy Sanderson, who is the marketing manager for Joan & Ed's Deli, "we almost ended our mailer program. The reason was that the response rate was low."

So what changed? Sanderson used a third-party provider: VistaPrint (VPRT).

With its online tools, she was able to easily design a professional mailer. Next, VistaPrint managed the mailing, using discounted rates.

"It can be time-consuming when putting together a mailer," Sanderson said. "But VistaPrint made things very easy. Just handling duplicate names and bad addresses was a big help."

Sanderson realized that she needed to design a mailer that would catch the attention of the person picking up the mail. To this end, she used strong colors and a clear message. "Using words like 'discount' and 'money off' can be effective," Sanderson said.

It's also important to give the mailer a personal touch. So, Sanderson put a picture of the husband-and-wife team of Joan & Ed's Deli on the mailer. "Having your logo on the mailer can also be helpful," she said.

So far, Sanderson has plans to have two mailers per year. Although, she wants to eventually expand things by using email offers and perhaps even social media. But, there is little doubt that traditional media can still make a difference.

Tom Taulli advises on business tax preparation and is also the author of a variety of books, including The Complete M&A Handbook. His website is at Taulli.com.