Month: November 2016

Good direct mail campaigns involve a great deal of planning and thought. If you merely pick a few postcodes and blanket mail the area, your direct mail is unlikely to be effective

Our list of seven things to avoid in your direct mail campaign

Good direct mail campaigns involve a great deal of planning and thought. If you merely pick a few postcodes and blanket mail the area, your direct mail is unlikely to be effective. Northside Graphics prints all sorts of marketing materials for a wide range of customers. Leaflets, flyers, postcards and booklets are all often used in direct mail campaigns. A good direct mail campaign can really bring in sales. People still engage more with physical print than they do with online marketing. However, in order to get the most from your direct mail, there are some pitfalls to avoid.

To help you get it right, we’ve outlined the seven most common direct mail mistakes:

1. Not having a good mailing list

Got a great design, quality content and the perfect offer? Great! But it’s useless if you’re not reaching those most likely to buy. A good mailing list will include previous customers and well-researched prospects, not just some random addresses in a certain area.

2. Not having an offer

It isn’t the content or the design that will lead to sales, it’s the offer. If your direct mail just advertises a product range or a list of benefits, there’s no incentive to respond. Add a special offer or a deal to engage potential customers.

3. Putting your offer or deal at the end of your text

People get bombarded with advertising messages all day long. Don’t try to build suspense with direct mail. Get your primary message out straight away or your mail will be in the recycling bin before your great offer even gets seen.

4. Not including a letter

Why include a letter if all your info is on the mailer? Simple – letters still seem more personal and are much more likely to build trust. It might seem old fashioned, but letters work.

5. Not tracking results

Large corporations test their retail advertising constantly. Smaller businesses often don’t. If you don’t track results from your advertising and marketing, you won’t know what works – and what doesn’t. That means you’re likely to repeat previous failures instead of finding the perfect recipe for success.

6. Not following-up

Follow-up and reply to responses quickly. Hot leads don’t stay hot for long. If someone has taken the trouble to contact you, act on it as quickly as possible. The longer you wait, the smaller your chance of turning that lead into a sale.

7. Not saying the magic word

What’s the magic word? “FREE”! People love getting anything for free. It doesn’t need to be expensive. Everybody loves getting something for nothing so give the word plenty of prominence on your mailer. Even if you’re just offering to send a brochure, say “Free brochure”. It’s been proven again and again. “Free” really is a magic word!

If you’re thinking of a direct mail campaign, Northside is your perfect partner. Established in 1988, we’re the oldest and largest digital printing company in Northern Ireland. We know print and we supply an extensive range of products that are ideal for direct mail campaigns. We’re based right here in Belfast and we really know the Northern Ireland market. Call us today on 028 9022 2111 for prices or to find out more about running a successful direct mail campaign.

Many of our customers at Northside Graphics use billboard and outdoor advertising to advertise their businesses, their products and services, or simply to grow awareness of their brand

Many of our customers at Northside Graphics use billboard and outdoor advertising to advertise their businesses, their products and services, or simply to grow awareness of their brand. Walk or drive through Belfast and you’ll be bombarded with advertising on billboards, bus shelters and on the street. Outdoor advertising is the most cost-effective form of advertising, enjoying the lowest cost per thousand people who’ll see your ad and it costs a lot less than you think.

Big range for big impact!

Our range of outdoor advertising products include 6 sheet posters – often seen on bus shelters across Northern Ireland, 48 sheet posters – or billboards, 96 sheets – double billboards and an extensive range of other poster sizes that are sure to get your message across loud and clear!

Outdoor advertising works

Outdoor advertising costs much less than many people think and there are many advantages of running your outdoor campaign:

It’s cost-effective

The large number of people who’ll see even a single poster makes outdoor marketing the most cost-effective form of advertising there is. Call us up for a quote. We’re sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

It targets your potential customers wherever they go

Your market research will tell you where your customers go and where they shop. That means you can place your poster where your target market are sure to see it. If your ideal customers live in a particular part of Belfast or are more likely to shop at certain stores, you can place your billboard or posters in that area so they can’t miss them!

It has massive audience reach

Anyone who walks or drives past will see your message. With other forms of advertising, people have to choose to look at it. They have to open a booklet or decide to read your leaflet. Billboards and outdoor advertising are part of the environment, so passers-by can’t fail to notice them!

It shows you’re serious about your business

When people see your business advertised on a billboard, they’ll perceive your business as successful and professional. You’ll be up there with some of the World’s most recognised brands and people will associate your brand with a thriving, successful company.

Outdoor advertising works!

Research shows that 92% of shoppers said they’d made a purchase 30 minutes after being exposed to outdoor advertising, compared to newspaper advertising at only 4%.

82% of shoppers said they’d impulse bought on the same day as seeing outdoor advertising.

There’s no better way to get your message across to large numbers of people than with outdoor advertising. Much of the outdoor advertising you see every day in Belfast and across Northern Ireland is produced here at Northside Graphics. We’re Belfast’s oldest and largest digital printer and we’ve nearly 40 years’ experience in helping customers with high quality print and marketing materials.

Call us today for more information on our range of cost-effective outdoor advertising products. Our expert team will be delighted to help, advise and quote for your outdoor campaign. We’re sure that you – like so many other businesses in Belfast and across Northern Ireland – will find that outdoor advertising from Northside Graphics will work for you!