5 ways to find new customers with Mailshots Online plus win £100 worth of credit

06/07/2010 send to a friend
Finding new customers is vital - they're the lifeblood of your small business. But you need to do it effectively. Here are five ways to use direct mail to find new customers plus your chance to win £100 worth of credit to use Mailshots Online from Royal Mail and try for yourself.
- Make the message relevant
Tailor your message to your audience, and think about what would really interest them. Think about the benefit to your customer of working with your business and make that the main message of the mailshot. - Give an incentive
Incentivising your mailshot with a discount or other promotion gives the recipient another reason to try your business so always look for a way to incentivise. You might think about a percentage discount, buy one get one free offer or setting up a loyalty scheme for repeat customers. - Make your design stand out
The design is crucial to encourage recipients to read your mailshot, so make sure you include good quality images, logos and your brand colours to build recognition with the customer. Make sure the response mechanism - which might be a web address, email address or phone number - is clearly visible. - Set a deadline
Running incentives for 'a limited time only' encourages new customers to get in touch and take advantage of any offers available. Set deadlines to any offers and make sure you have the capacity to deal with an influx of customers. - Build trust
If you're looking to establish a relationship with new customers think about offering 'money-back' or 'satisfaction' guarantees that help to build trust. If they know you have their best interests at heart, they'll be more likely to become your customer in the first place.
Win £100 worth of credit to use Mailshots Online
Created specifically for small businesses by Royal Mail, Mailshots Online is a simple, fast and cost-effective tool to help you engage with new and existing customers. Register in seconds to start designing high quality and high impact communications from the comfort of your computer.
With Mailshots Online you can choose the look and style of your postcard or letter, write your own copy, and add a mailing list - all in under 30 minutes. Because there's no minimum order quantity, you can send just one postcard or letter or 1,000 for the same unit price, making budgeting simple.
How to win
Just leave a comment below to be in with a chance of winning £100 worth of Mailshots Online credit. Remember to leave your name and some way to contact you and we'll pick a winner at Random.org in a week's time.
Good luck!
Mailshots Online
This post is sponsored by Mailshots Online by Royal Mail. Find out more at www.mailshotsonline.com
Photo credit: Maltese Falcon59
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Comments
Author: Jose Reyes
Date: 06/07/2010
Comment: I'm not sure if this comment needs to say anything more than I'd like to win £100, but there you go
Website: www.richard-turner.co.uk
Author: San Sharma
Date: 06/07/2010
Comment: That's a good start! :-)
Website: http://www.enterprisenation.com/
Author: David
Date: 06/07/2010
Comment: I'm not personally convinced of the effectiveness of these Mailshots, but would be interested in trialling them to perhaps prove me wrong!
Website: http://www.integreatmedia.com
Author: Kay Bowman
Date: 06/07/2010
Comment: Money back guarantee works really well, best for the customer and your business. If the customer isn't happy then they won't recommend you and there is no better advertising than word of mouth. Besides that, we wouldn't want a customer to be unhappy with our product.
Just my 2 pence worth!
Website: http://www.wellyracks.com
Author: Laura Morris
Date: 06/07/2010
Comment: Oooh I would like to win too please :)
Website: www.rentabuggy.co.uk
Author: christelle coulin
Date: 07/07/2010
Comment: need to be proved that this mailshot really works for my business, bring it on !!!!
Website:
Author: Mildred Talabi
Date: 07/07/2010
Comment: I'd like to win too if not too late :-)
Website: http://www.rawloveuk.com
Author: Beverley Palmer
Date: 07/07/2010
Comment: Mailshots online is ideal tool for the future. Keeping current clients updated is great, how can it target new business.
Website: www.home-calls.co.uk
Author: Holly Hinton
Date: 07/07/2010
Comment: I am always looking at new (and cheap) ways of getting my business known so this something I'll look into...
Website: http://www.hollyshobbies.co.uk
Author: Diana Robbins
Date: 07/07/2010
Comment: If you don't tell people what you are doing, how will they know?!
Website: www.dartdesigns.co.uk
Author: Georgie Kirby
Date: 07/07/2010
Comment: I'm currently having a logo designed and a new website so this would be fab to try out.
Website: www.bigbeautifulbunting.co.uk
Author: Janet Drake
Date: 08/07/2010
Comment: A one off mail shot is just the start ... and its a good start. There is always something nice about receiving a personalised note / card or letter through the letter box. What you have to offer your customers / clients, potential and existing, may not be for them right now but may be for them or their friends in the future, so never forget that 'follow-up is fortune'.
Website: www.4urwellbeing.com
Author: Mel Sherratt
Date: 08/07/2010
Comment: I'd like to be in to win please.
Website:
Author: Drew Rogers
Date: 08/07/2010
Comment: I've tried flyer marketing before and it's worked for me (all of the clients who noticed the flyers are still loyal clients of ours now) so marketing by mail and mail shots are still effective in the digital age. I'd be interested in selecting certain postcodes to see if the conversion rate is better!
Website: www.renewfitnessretreat.co.uk
Author: Tracey Hawley
Date: 08/07/2010
Comment: I plan to launch my babies and childrenswear business over the next 3 months.
This would be a great inclusion into my marketting plan.
Website: 'work in progress'
Author: Elizabeth Geldart
Date: 09/07/2010
Comment: Not all the independent card/gift/baby shops that stock my products are online or have email addresses, so communicating by post is the best way I have of showing them new products and stockists offers.
Website: http://www.chiggs.co.uk
Author: Kate Upcraft
Date: 11/07/2010
Comment: I'm just starting out with direct marketing so keen to see if it works
Kate
Website: www.takeuppayrollmentoring.co.uk
Author: Yaa
Date: 11/07/2010
Comment: I have no doubt mail shots give results, it's the reason why i shop in Tesco, i wouldn't say i go there for my shopping but every time i go shopping the decision is influenced by my discount vouchers so i end up going there any.
Website:
Author: Liz Rice
Date: 12/07/2010
Comment: Would be interesting to see how physical mail shots compare with our existing email marketing.
Website: www.pluginseo.com
Author: Steve Sosna
Date: 12/07/2010
Comment: Would be nice, always difficult setting up a new business especially in design :-)
Website: www.773c.co.uk
Author: Sharon Dempster
Date: 19/07/2010
Comment: Busniess have not been great and I am finding it difficult to react my target customers without any funds, this would be great.
Website: http://www.trydeezhairextensions.com
Author: Amanda Fawzi
Date: 27/08/2010
Comment: would love to try royal mail mailshot
Website: http://www.folksy.com/shops/JaneExelbys