I got a small envelope in the mail today — one of those invitation (3 x 5) size envelopes. It had a mailing label on the front so I knew it wasn’t something personal but there was no return address.
Curious about what it could be, I opened it up. And here’s what I found inside.
Yep. It was an invitation size single card that simply said
SalesIsNotForSissies.com – Check it Out!
It intrigued me enough to — you guessed it — visit the website. What a very smart way to get traffic to your website.
Here’s what I found when I visited. A pile of tips on selling and a sales “hall of shame” highlighting things people do wrong when trying to sell. It’s a fairly young site written by Linda Bishop in a blog format. It looks like it will be a worthwhile follow.
Only one small (big?) issue. There is no option to follow the RSS feed or sign up to receive email updates. And that’s a big mistake. She’s gone to all the trouble of drawing traffic to the website, but without these options there’s no guarantee people will come back. So if you’re listening Linda, get more ROI from your mailing by doing those two things. I’m not wild about RSS feeds because I never find the time to read them. Getting delivery by email is my preferred method. This is my favorite blog broadcast and list service. (Update 3-15-10: I got an email saying they had read this post and added an RSS feed option. Way to go!)
I think using the US mail is a great tactic for drawing traffic to your website. Moving to the offline world is always a good idea because you can find a better targeted audience than in the online world in a shorter amount of time.
You can do the same thing pretty inexpensively. Right now, VistaPrint has a special offer for 50% Off Custom Printed Invitations & Announcements with matching envelopes. You can design it online and get it in as few as 3 days. I’ve used their services and they are top notch.
What do you think about this idea as a way to get website traffic?
About Denise O'Berry
Don’t know how much the postal service costs in the states, but unless it’s very cheap, this sounds like an expensive way to get traffic. Lets say 20 cents for the mailing and 5 cents for the card and envelope = 25 cents. Response to physical mailing is notoriously low – but let’s be optimistic and say 5%. That would be a $5 click! Even if response was 50%, it’d still be a 50 cents click. Unique idea though, I don’t dispute that.
You are right Jonathan, it can be expensive. As with any marketing activity, the key is to look at the long term return on an activity like this. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.