Home » Home & Style » Gift Baskets » Marketing in the New Mail Order

Marketing in the New Mail Order

© Shirley Frazier

Mailing candy-filled containers or tea bag notecards to clients and prospects was once viewed as an ingenious way to market one's business. Not any more. Postal mail problems are making all of us rethink our strategies. Anything that arrives in today's mail that is unexpected or considered suspicious is now handled with gloves (literally) and has the potential to send your gift straight into the garbage.

Times have changed, and that means your marketing techniques must be revamped. The mail should not only say "open me," it should also include a message that's unique enough to make the receiver buy. What marketing choices does the creative designer have in 2002 to get her message out to prospects and clients who need gift baskets to build and sustain relationships? The choices are better than expected.

POSTCARDS

Aside from a face-to-face business card exchange, postcards are, by far, the top-rated marketing tool being mailed through the postal system. There are many positives to sending your message by postcard and virtually no negatives outside of a small text area. Your message should compliment the gift basket photograph shown on the opposite side.

You'll find postcard manufacturers at local business and trade shows and through online distributors. Modern Postcard and Web Cards are two companies that gift basket designers use. Search engines (Yahoo, Excite, etc.) will lead you to other sources.

The U.S. Postal Service also supplies postcards. Their system seems simple to use. Although the U.S.P.S. doesn't support using custom photographs, it does have a wide selection of cartoons that humorously introduce your message. The service will also address and mail your postcards, a valuable commodity for today's time-strapped entrepreneur.

SPECIALTY ENVELOPES

There's something about an attractive envelope that makes a person want to open it immediately. Whether opaque, translucent, speckled or oblong in shape, envelopes are still good candidates for sending flyers, special offers and coupons to frequent buyers and your most-promising prospects.

These envelopes can include a clear window cutout, allowing the receiver to view what's inside. This is where your creative skills come in handy. Positioning text in the cutout window that states, "10% Off," "Buy One Basket, Get One for a Friend," or "Try Some Truffles On Us!" entices the buyer to open and read your offer. That's the sign of a successful marketing campaign.

Two companies that sell specialty envelopes are Jam Paper and American Printing and Envelope Company.

CUSTOM BOXES

Someone refers you to a new prospect. A former client renews their relationship with you. When these situations occur, a thank you card isn't enough. You want to send a boxed gift. How can you ensure that the gift will be opened and not feared? Consider these options.

The copyright of the article Marketing in the New Mail Order in Gift Baskets is owned by Shirley Frazier. Permission to republish Marketing in the New Mail Order in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.