Direct mail users know that well-crafted postcards or brochures can get their phones ringing and generate leads for them, but many aren't making use of an incredibly important secret weapon, which can take their direct mail results to the next level.
The secret weapon I'm talking about is a dedicated landing page for their direct mail campaign.
Definition:
A landing page is a webpage designed for a specific marketing effort, and is intended to serve as the beginning of a prospect's online experience.
Now, let's talk about what landing pages do for your direct mail marketing and how you can create GREAT ones
What do Landing Pages do?
Landing pages serve as your online receptionist for your direct mail prospects. You place the URL for that specific direct mail campaign's landing page on your postcards (or other direct mail piece), and prospects visit the URL to get more information about what your direct mail is offering.
So what exactly are these pages doing for you?
1) They Continue the Conversation
Your landing page gives you more space to communicate your full marketing message with interested prospects. Prospects who take the effort to go to your landing page are clearly interested in what you have to offer, but you can only tell them so much in a postcard. Your landing page allows you to further explain what you can do for them and convince them to connect with your company by filling out a contact form.
2) They Capture Leads
Your landing page's primary focus is turning interested prospects into leads by offering something of value in exchange for their contact info. They can simply fill out your contact form, and get an answer to their question, get an information packet from you, or whatever else you choose to offer.
3) They Enable Follow-Up
Not only do you generate leads through your contact form for you to follow up with, you also can use online follow-up tools like Pay Per Click to track the visitors of your landing page and show them follow-up ads once they leave the page.
So, essentially, landing pages give you the opportunity to generate more leads and convert more of those leads into customers through better follow-up. Your prospects also get something out of it. They get an easy way to find the information they need about your products or services, so it is an effective and mutually beneficial marketing tool.
How to Create a Landing Page That Will Generate Results
So now you know why you should be using landing pages. Let's move on to how to make effective landing pages that get you results
Your landing pages need 6 essential elements
1) Consistent Design and Message
Your prospects need to experience a seamless transition from your postcard (or other direct mail piece) to your landing page. It needs to look the same. The marketing copy needs to read with the same tone and voice. It is simply an online extension of your direct mail piece, meant to further engage prospects' interest and encourage them to connect with your company. If it looks completely different or feels like spam, you'll send them running for the "Back" button.
2) Engaging Headline
Congratulations! Your direct mail piece got them interested enough to visit the landing page. Now you have to reengage them all over again and build their interest enough to convince them to fill out your contact form. It all starts with the headline. Make it count.
3) Something of Value Offered to Visitors for Free
Having a great, attractive product or service is one thing, but it takes a little something extra to convince on-the-fence prospects to fill out a form. You need to offer them something of value in exchange for filling out your contact form. This can be a free report with industry insights, a free estimate, free consultation, etc. The better it is, the more likely they are to give you their contact info!
4) A Contact Form (ALWAYS)
This is the main event. Your landing page is entirely built around turning prospects into leads, which you can follow up with and turn into customers. You generate leads with contact forms, so make sure EVERY landing page you create has one. And only ask for what you need. Every extra field will decrease response.
5) Trust Logos to Establish Credibility
Prospects need to know they can trust your company before they give you their contact information. Put them at ease by featuring trust logos, such as your BBB (Better Business Bureau) accreditation, any prominent affiliations you have, awards, etc. Position these near the form to reassure the visitor.
6) All Your Contact Information
Give your prospects the opportunity to make the first move. Make sure you have contact information on your landing pages so prospects can always reach you if they want to. A mailing address builds credibility letting the reader know you are a real business and not an internet sham. And don't forget to display your phone number prominently!
Landing pages can be an incredible compliment to your direct mail campaigns. They help you connect with prospects on a deeper level, and give you real tangible results in lead generation, which you can then turn into new customers and more revenue. Get started using them the right way and watch them pay dividends for your company.
The secret weapon I'm talking about is a dedicated landing page for their direct mail campaign.
Definition:
A landing page is a webpage designed for a specific marketing effort, and is intended to serve as the beginning of a prospect's online experience.
Now, let's talk about what landing pages do for your direct mail marketing and how you can create GREAT ones
What do Landing Pages do?
Landing pages serve as your online receptionist for your direct mail prospects. You place the URL for that specific direct mail campaign's landing page on your postcards (or other direct mail piece), and prospects visit the URL to get more information about what your direct mail is offering.
So what exactly are these pages doing for you?
1) They Continue the Conversation
Your landing page gives you more space to communicate your full marketing message with interested prospects. Prospects who take the effort to go to your landing page are clearly interested in what you have to offer, but you can only tell them so much in a postcard. Your landing page allows you to further explain what you can do for them and convince them to connect with your company by filling out a contact form.
2) They Capture Leads
Your landing page's primary focus is turning interested prospects into leads by offering something of value in exchange for their contact info. They can simply fill out your contact form, and get an answer to their question, get an information packet from you, or whatever else you choose to offer.
3) They Enable Follow-Up
Not only do you generate leads through your contact form for you to follow up with, you also can use online follow-up tools like Pay Per Click to track the visitors of your landing page and show them follow-up ads once they leave the page.
So, essentially, landing pages give you the opportunity to generate more leads and convert more of those leads into customers through better follow-up. Your prospects also get something out of it. They get an easy way to find the information they need about your products or services, so it is an effective and mutually beneficial marketing tool.
How to Create a Landing Page That Will Generate Results
So now you know why you should be using landing pages. Let's move on to how to make effective landing pages that get you results
Your landing pages need 6 essential elements
1) Consistent Design and Message
Your prospects need to experience a seamless transition from your postcard (or other direct mail piece) to your landing page. It needs to look the same. The marketing copy needs to read with the same tone and voice. It is simply an online extension of your direct mail piece, meant to further engage prospects' interest and encourage them to connect with your company. If it looks completely different or feels like spam, you'll send them running for the "Back" button.
2) Engaging Headline
Congratulations! Your direct mail piece got them interested enough to visit the landing page. Now you have to reengage them all over again and build their interest enough to convince them to fill out your contact form. It all starts with the headline. Make it count.
3) Something of Value Offered to Visitors for Free
Having a great, attractive product or service is one thing, but it takes a little something extra to convince on-the-fence prospects to fill out a form. You need to offer them something of value in exchange for filling out your contact form. This can be a free report with industry insights, a free estimate, free consultation, etc. The better it is, the more likely they are to give you their contact info!
4) A Contact Form (ALWAYS)
This is the main event. Your landing page is entirely built around turning prospects into leads, which you can follow up with and turn into customers. You generate leads with contact forms, so make sure EVERY landing page you create has one. And only ask for what you need. Every extra field will decrease response.
5) Trust Logos to Establish Credibility
Prospects need to know they can trust your company before they give you their contact information. Put them at ease by featuring trust logos, such as your BBB (Better Business Bureau) accreditation, any prominent affiliations you have, awards, etc. Position these near the form to reassure the visitor.
6) All Your Contact Information
Give your prospects the opportunity to make the first move. Make sure you have contact information on your landing pages so prospects can always reach you if they want to. A mailing address builds credibility letting the reader know you are a real business and not an internet sham. And don't forget to display your phone number prominently!
Landing pages can be an incredible compliment to your direct mail campaigns. They help you connect with prospects on a deeper level, and give you real tangible results in lead generation, which you can then turn into new customers and more revenue. Get started using them the right way and watch them pay dividends for your company.
Joy Gendusa is the founder and CEO of PostcardMania, a $20 million, full-service marketing company based in Clearwater, FL. She literally wrote the book on postcard marketing, and built her company from the ground up without any outside investment capital. Download her complete 95-Point Total Marketing Checklist today! Please visit www.postcardmania.com for more information. To learn about using direct mail as the foundation of an integrated marketing system, or to find out what it can do all by itself, call 1-866-826-0877.
