Snail Mail Campaign in Small town

[swoop_ds]

I just got done folding 500 brochures that I got printing for a snail mail campaign. I live in a small town outside of Regina Saskatchewan(also a small place..). There are roughly 500 mail boxes at the post office so each one will get one of my brochures. I included the ability to enter into a contest as well as discounts on prints for people who enter. I'm hoping that these two things will help people to not chuck it into the garbage right away. (although I'm sure plenty will end up there)

I'm not sure if this'll work but I've just moved here and hopefully now people will know that there is a photographer in town.

Anyone ever done this? I'll try to keep you guys informed as to how well it works. I have my doubts but it was pretty cheap (under 200$) so if it doesn't work I'm not out a ton of money.

-Dave

 

[FattyMcJ]

I'll try to keep you guys informed as to how well it works.

-Dave

Please do!

As an upstart photographer I'm looking for ways to get my name out there and I've thought of doing the door-to-door pamphlet thing around local neighborhoods as a cheap/easy way to advertise, this is along those same lines so I can't wait to see how it works for you!

Thanks!

 

[GerryDavid]

Ive thought about doing something similiar. Ive heard in Canada you can pay the post office a small fee to deliver something to every mailbox, or if theres a local paper that gives a free paper to all the houses you can get it put in with that, its pretty cheap that way to, but its more expensive.

Ive thought about writting down the house numbers of good nighborhoods and send off a personalized letter to them, in the hope that the takers would make it worth while. ive done this with a couple pet cards to those I talked to at a yard sale that seemed seriously interested in a pet portrait.

 

[swoop_ds]

Yeah the post office here in Strasbourg (Canada) will put one in each box for 12 cents! That's way cheaper than actually mauling them.

 

[swoop_ds]

I got some response so far, atleast enough to make the campaign worth it. I mostly wanted to ensure people knew I was there since I just moved. Ill let you guys know if I get more responses to come.

 

[FattyMcJ]

I got some response so far, atleast enough to make the campaign worth it. I mostly wanted to ensure people knew I was there since I just moved. Ill let you guys know if I get more responses to come.

Nice! Wow, that's pretty quick. So you broke even on the whole thing?

 

[swoop_ds]

Yeah, it looks that way. Two of the leads generated look like they'll convert to sales and that would pay for it. Hopefully word of mouth afterwards sweetens the pot.

 

[FattyMcJ]

Yeah, it looks that way. Two of the leads generated look like they'll convert to sales and that would pay for it. Hopefully word of mouth afterwards sweetens the pot.

Perfect, congrats!

I think I know what I'll be doing next :thumbup:

 

[Leo4]

This is pretty neat idea. Ive never gotten advertising for photographers before. Glad to hear things are working out with the campaign.

 

[Big Mike]

I attended a seminar type thing earlier this year. It was put on by a very successful photographer, Robert Provencher, out of Sudbury.
He uses, and highly recommends, direct mail advertising. He even helps other photographers & business write their own direct mail fliers.

 

[FattyMcJ]

I attended a seminar type thing earlier this year. It was put on by a very successful photographer, Robert Provencher, out of Sudbury.
He uses, and highly recommends, direct mail advertising. He even helps other photographers & business write their own direct mail fliers.

Interesting...

This has got me thinking, I wonder what something simple (just a text flier) would cost to put into an entire zip code, here in the states.

I assume you'd just contact the post office and go from there?

 

[c.cloudwalker]

I attended a seminar type thing earlier this year. It was put on by a very successful photographer, Robert Provencher, out of Sudbury.
He uses, and highly recommends, direct mail advertising. He even helps other photographers & business write their own direct mail fliers.

Interesting...

This has got me thinking, I wonder what something simple (just a text flier) would cost to put into an entire zip code, here in the states.

I assume you'd just contact the post office and go from there?

No, you would call a direct mail company. But I wouldn't waste my time with a text only flier. Think about your reaction to direct mail you get...

 

[Big Mike]

Actually, most of what 'the guy I mentioned above' does, is basically just a text only flier. But he goes out of his way to make it look like a hand made, family news letter type of thing...rather than something that looks like a form letter.

Part of the reasoning is that he wants it to look & feel different than all the usual 'junk mail' that people get.

 

[FattyMcJ]

No, you would call a direct mail company. But I wouldn't waste my time with a text only flier. Think about your reaction to direct mail you get...

Hmm...touche. Point taken. :thumbup:

Actually, most of what 'the guy I mentioned above' does, is basically just a text only flier. But he goes out of his way to make it look like a hand made, family news letter type of thing...rather than something that looks like a form letter.

Part of the reasoning is that he wants it to look & feel different than all the usual 'junk mail' that people get.

Like the newsletter format many schools/organizations put out weekly? A folded paper format? What would you fill it with? I just can't see coming up with worth while information to fill such a document. I could fill about a page with information and offers, but more than that would be pure fluff I think.

Unless....you got other local businesses involved, like say a framing shop, went in on the cost of the documents/distribution and the two businesses compliment each other. It's a thought.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Actually, most of what 'the guy I mentioned above' does, is basically just a text only flier. But he goes out of his way to make it look like a hand made, family news letter type of thing...rather than something that looks like a form letter.

Part of the reasoning is that he wants it to look & feel different than all the usual 'junk mail' that people get.

Interesting. Once again, it shows that not everyone reacts to things the same way, lol. And I guess I should have mentioned that I AM NOT an expert in direct mail.