direct mail

[twodadspizza]

Hello everyone ! Hope everyone is selling lots of pizza . I would like some advice on direct mailing , best companies to use , how many to send out initialy. Any advice would be helpful . Thanks 8)

 

[The_Fat_Boy]

I used Menus for less but wont do that again, I do my own EDDM, but it all depends on your volume of sales and how much you want to spend I like doing it myself so I can control how many go out

Dennis

 

[Bubba]

I am a firm believer that frequency is more important than reach.
Therefore, I do a eddm mailing each week to 2 routes.
You can go to the usps website and they will have the location and number of each route in your zip code. Look at their map and see where the busiest areas are from your store.
I use got.print for my printing. They are cheap and reliable for my conditions. I have priced other places and they are all about the same price.

Try to get 3 or 4 different areas you can mail to. It might only be 2 routes for each area. This way someone gets a piece from you once a month. After a few months, get a new marketing piece and have it replace the previous one.

I have found that the first 2 weeks are real good for sales, the 3rd is ok and the last week is blah. So, if you want to get creative, only mail the first 3 weeks.

 

[josh]

Hi Twodadspizza,
Here is what I suggest. Continue your research until you have identified 3-4 reputable companies that specialize in direct mail and pizza marketing. I suggest a company that also specializes in pizza marketing because they should have a deeper understanding of your design needs, should be able to help you with coupon suggestions, strategies (frequency & reach), etc. Make contact, give the company representative your current situation and let them propose multiple options.

Since every pizza shop owners needs are different in terms of budget, time, goals (long vs short term), etc., it’s important that you are aware of all of the options available not just what one company may have to offer, as there is no one size fits all with marketing and direct mail.
For example, a lot of pizza shop owners have success and like the EDDM option similar to Fat Boy & Bubba. However, for every one owner that we talk to and fulfill and EDDM job for, I can name 4 that don’t like the EDDM and choose other solutions.

Once you have all of the options and proposals, you will be able to make the best educated decision about which company is going to be the best partner and which product and strategy will yield you the best return.

PS: Please see the attached article about Reach Vs Frequency. I think you will find it informative and is crucial to understand when executing your marketing program.

Josh Davis
Mail Shark
Direct: 484-948-1611
http://www.themailshark.com

 

[pcuezze]

Count me as someone who does not choose to do direct mail myself. I do lots of things in the restaurant from plumbing to IT, to painting walls, fixing refrigeration, managing social media, etc. But, for me, having a turnkey direct mail company works great. It’s absolutely a personal preference. If you have some free time and the abilities, do it yourself. If you can use your time to do something else, look into turnkey.

Regardless, I do believe Direct Mail Marketing is still alive and well and you should be doing it in most cases. As an ardent supporter of guerilla marketing, I have to confess that direct mail has been consistently as effective (if not quite as cost effective) as most NEW marketing strategies (Facebook, Loyalty, etc.). For that reason, we’ve kept it in the mix for 2+ years.

Hope this helps.

Patrick Cuezze
Next Door Pizza