Direct marketing is any form of in-person advertising.
It’s not necessarily face-to-face, but rather more directly filtered to reach your specific demographic or audience.
Rather than posting a sales ad on your news feed for Facebook, you’d have a paid ad with filters that target age, gender, what they’ve searched, and location.
While that’s direct for online, when we think of direct marketing we commonly think of brochures, postcards, flyers, rack cards, and even business cards; items a person can hold in their hand.
The reason direct marketing still works is because people who are looking for services will pick up one of these leaflets to read later. If they don’t pick it up, they’re not interested. Many times, we hand someone a card or brochure without them saying they’re interested, but that’s okay. Most people will keep the item in their purse or pocket, choosing not to discard it in front of you. As the salesperson, you’re okay with that because at least it is with them and will be seen later.
When we print direct marketing materials, we print in bulk. This is because you may need to give out a lot at an event, to keep in your office or affiliate’s office, or mail. The more you give out, the higher your chances are of receiving a ROI on it – meaning they call for services. Is it worth it? We think so.
You can get a bulk order printed for a very affordable price. Many clients we’ve worked with even had a digital version of their leaflets. You can post these on your website, text a link, or send a QR code. It’s more cost-effective but not always clicked and read. Still, if you’re going to print them and hand them out, you might as well have a digital version available, too.
Isn’t Direct Marketing Obsolete?
Not quite. It’s making a comeback. If you stop to think about it, working in the home care agency, you’re dealing with people who grew up with reading marketing materials (with no internet or barely the beginning of the internet). Also, your direct clients are seniors, who prefer a picture brochure with larger font to get the information they need. You’d be missing out on a great opportunity if you didn’t print leaflets.
And yes, you’ve heard it before, people like to get personal mail that doesn’t scream “Bill!” on it. Postcards still get looked over, flipped over, and looked over again before hitting the recycling can. Many get posted on the fridge to serve as a reminder to review more closely. We once were shopping for a new couch set and couldn’t decide on the overwhelming stores online. One company sent us a postcard with a hard-to-beat sale on it. That company won our interest over the rest.
Psychology Behind Direct Marketing
Your prospective client feels in control. When they take your leaflet home, they are in the privacy of their own space with no pressure of a salesperson breathing down their neck waiting for an answer. They feel like they can take their time reviewing your services or products and do their own research online. They can discuss your offerings with their senior in need and see if you’re worth that free consultation you advertise. This is a major bonus! You want your prospective client to have fully vetted you out before making that call. They are more likely to sign on because they did their own research and learned as much as they could.
The con to this is that, well, it is all done on their own time. At home, people get distracted. If the person who took your brochure home is in their mid-to-late 40’s, they have kids to care for, a home to clean, and food to put on the table. On top of that, they have a senior to monitor. Your brochure may not be the biggest priority on their list, and they’ll wait for the right moment to review it. And that right moment might still be under rest on their to-do list.
How to Track Direct Marketing
If you have a stack of rack cards offering home care at a doctor’s office, you’re not going to be able to assess who took the card home. However, you can make a note of how many you leave each month. When you return to fill the stack, count how many remain. The difference is how many have been taken.
If you don’t already (you really should), whenever someone calls for services, ask where they heard of you. In this case, a person may say, “I saw a rack card at the doctor’s office that my dad goes to.” They may not say “rack card”, but you get the hint. You can ask which doctor’s office, if you place materials at more than one, and get an idea of your ROI.
If you’re at an event, like a resource fair, you can have folks write their name and contact information before giving them a brochure. Be sure to get their permission for calls, which can simply be noted on the sign-up sheet they write their information. After about one week from the event, or even a few days, contact them and see if they’ve had the time to investigate what you have to offer.
The good news is that their senior is always on their mind, even with a busy life. Thinking about the type of care for their elderly mom or dad is going to be a priority. Getting a couch set, not as much in comparison. Therefore, you have a good chance of your leaflets getting read and business getting researched.
The bottom-line is that direct marketing works very well for home care agencies. If you’re reviewing how to advance your strategies and campaigns, consider the old school printing style and get into people’s homes.