How Can I Send Postcards to Small Business Owners?

[yourreviewer]

Hello,
I would like to send postcards to small business owners on my services. First, how do I get a list of small business owners to send postcards to? And second do I have to seek permission from anyone before sending these postcards?

Please let me know.

Thanks,
Dan

[Brian Cook]

Dan,

If you live in the States, most local Chamber of Commerce
organizations have a mailing list of businesses in the area.
This list is often provided for free to members of the Chamber
(or you can rent/buy it). And, you don't need permission to
send the postcards... just postage

[yourreviewer]

Originally Posted by Brian Cook

Dan,

If you live in the States, most local Chamber of Commerce
organizations have a mailing list of businesses in the area.
This list is often provided for free to members of the Chamber
(or you can rent/buy it). And, you don't need permission to
send the postcards... just postage

Thanks Brian. This is very helpful for me.

Dan

[Charles Washington]

You can get a list, targetted any way you like from Melissa Data | Data Quality Tools | Mailing Software | Lists | NCOA

Then, contact the post office about bulk rates. Last time I checked (last year) Bulk rates were pretty good.

[yourreviewer]

Originally Posted by Charles Montgomery

You can get a list, targetted any way you like from Melissa Data | Data Quality Tools | Mailing Software | Lists | NCOA

Then, contact the post office about bulk rates. Last time I checked (last year) Bulk rates were pretty good.

Thank you so much Charles. This looks like a great resource.

[Jagged]

Like Brian said, try your local chamber of commerce...
Also look into...
Your local small business association...
Your city / county / state departmnt of business licensing...
Mailing Lists - Sales Leads , Telemarketing, Business, Consumer - GoLeads
Phone books...
local directory / portal sites...

[MacFreddie]

I'll tell you how to do "it" correctly.

NEVER use Bulk Mail rates, conversion sucks. People treat it as pure Junk mail. 1st class stamps get delivered, bulk mail gets treated as Garbage by the PO and delivery sucks.

Use a 28 cent stamp from the PO for mailing.

Use a Yellow, Pink, or Violet card.

NO return address.

Make sure the "offer" appears on Both sides of the card. Example: Free Report

The "Headline" is critical. Don't worry about the rest, concentrate on the headline.

Never use a Label, use a Font that looks like it is written in Ink.

Keep the message SHORT, lure the prospect in. It's best to use a Toll-Free 800 number for people to call to get more info. Use call capture to get their phone number. Never ask for the phone number. Ask the customer to call a Toll-Free 24 hour number to hear a Recorded Message and get their Name and Address only. Send a report via 1st class mail and then in the report direct them to a Squeeze Page so you can start an Email Drip campaign.

Your "List" of customers is CRITICAL. They must be a Hungry crowd for your product/service.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Direct Mail is one of the best ways to get business, only the Internet is better for ROI.

[rdraiss]

also try salesgenie.com ,when you sign up you get 100 free leads. These are quality leads. A better quality list = a better ROI. Best of luck, run with it.

[Shane Hale]

If you want a targeted mailing list you can pay for physical mailing lists at nextmark.com. It is a awesome collection of niche mailing lists offline.

[gargoyle]

also look online for a piece of software and company called "prospects plus" They have their own printing press. They have postcards with postage at unbelievable rates!

[yourreviewer]

Originally Posted by MacFreddie

I'll tell you how to do "it" correctly.

NEVER use Bulk Mail rates, conversion sucks. People treat it as pure Junk mail. 1st class stamps get delivered, bulk mail gets treated as Garbage by the PO and delivery sucks.

Use a 28 cent stamp from the PO for mailing.

Use a Yellow, Pink, or Violet card.

NO return address.

Make sure the "offer" appears on Both sides of the card. Example: Free Report

The "Headline" is critical. Don't worry about the rest, concentrate on the headline.

Never use a Label, use a Font that looks like it is written in Ink.

Keep the message SHORT, lure the prospect in. It's best to use a Toll-Free 800 number for people to call to get more info. Use call capture to get their phone number. Never ask for the phone number. Ask the customer to call a Toll-Free 24 hour number to hear a Recorded Message and get their Name and Address only. Send a report via 1st class mail and then in the report direct them to a Squeeze Page so you can start an Email Drip campaign.

Your "List" of customers is CRITICAL. They must be a Hungry crowd for your product/service.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Direct Mail is one of the best ways to get business, only the Internet is better for ROI.

Oh Wow! Thank you so much for explaining it so well.

[TimCastleman]

I bought a mailing list of every business (ok 99.9% of them) in the US and it gets updated every couple of months. I ran a $20 WSO offering the list for your home town that did well. That is what I use and it does great.

I also had the postcards printed professionally and am getting a great ROI.

No you don't need anyone's permission, just your willingness to send them out on a normal basis (at least 3 times).

Tim

[thunderbird]

How about for Canada? Anyone know? Thanks.

[FifthDimension5]

You can get the mailing list from companies specializing in selling business data as mailing lists or leads. I guess you wouldnt need permission to send post cards, just willingness would do. Also by following the advice given here (avoiding bulk mail) you would increase your chances of not being classified as junk mail.

[designstd.com]

yellow pages

[marciayudkin]

How about for Canada? Anyone know? Thanks.

Mailing List - Email, Business, Sales Leads, Consumer - InfoUSA has lists for Canadian businesses.

They have a division for UK addresses, as well.

Marcia Yudkin

[Doublejm]

Postcardmania (dot) com usually has pretty good rates and I have had good success with them doing mortgage mailings...

[Pete Egeler]

As mentioned by a couple of posters, you'll find all the information you need by going to your local Chamber of Commerce site. All you need to do (if you don't have the info,) is do a Google search for Chamber of Commerce "my city".

Not only will you find the business, but also address, phone & contact information for 99% of the members.

Pete

[TimCastleman]

I've never mailed to Canada but I bought the mailing list just in case.

I don't use postcardmania.com, found a place that printed my postcards (5,000) for $99.

Tim

[intromaster]

Another great source you can use is infousa.com

You can search by type of business, SIC Code, number of employees, sales volume, executive
title and other great selections.

I like using them because you can do everything online and dont have to pick up the phone to speak to someone to get started *unless you want too*

[BrashImpact]

Originally Posted by TimCastleman

I've never mailed to Canada but I bought the mailing list just in case.

I don't use postcardmania.com, found a place that printed my postcards (5,000) for $99.

Tim

Tim,
we all would appreciate the name of the place for 99.00 i know i sure would.
Please share.....We like the Ninja secrets here.
Thanks in advance for your follow up post.
Regards,
Robert Nelson
"The Maverick Motivator"

[K1]

I wish faxing B2B was still allowed. Not allowing B2B faxing really screws with the little guys.

[GoPeterB]

Did you know that you can go to your local townhall and get a list of newly registered businesses in your town?

I am in Maine and get like 15 names for $1 I believe?? Cant remember the exact price but its cheap. IT may be free in your town so check it out.

-Peter

[Kevin-VirtualProfitCenter]

Originally Posted by rdraiss

also try salesgenie.com ,when you sign up you get 100 free leads. These are quality leads. A better quality list = a better ROI. Best of luck, run with it.

DO THIS! Sales Genie is the most economical way to get great leads in just about any niche.

[docsulo]

Originally Posted by MacFreddie

I'll tell you how to do "it" correctly.

NEVER use Bulk Mail rates, conversion sucks. People treat it as pure Junk mail. 1st class stamps get delivered, bulk mail gets treated as Garbage by the PO and delivery sucks.

While I agree with 90% of your post MacFreddie...

Bulk mail nowadays is virtually indistinguishable to the customer from 1st class.

The delivery issue is another story.

I mailed over 200,000 pieces of mail a week for over 3 years. I have tested everything - including postcards sent via 1st class and bulk mail rates.

The issues with bulk mail are simple:

1. Timing

If you have a need to have mail spaced out so that response comes in evenly then bulk mail is not for you.

2. Congestion (which is really a corollary of 1)

While 99% of bulk mail is delivered it often is delivered haphazardly. There were times where a days mailing would "disappear" for about 3 months and then all of sudden hit people's mailboxes.

If timing is not important to you - forget about people thinking bulk mail is junk mail. That's flat out WRONG. It WAS the case for a long time but NOT ANYMORE. Test out bulk mail - it can make a big difference in your bottom line if done properly. The key is to test.

[I.M.Retired]

I just bought this WSO from Maria Gudelis this morning and am working through it right now. Good stuff!

http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...tool.html#post

[TimCastleman]

Hey guys, sorry this thread had disappeared. At any rate I see that Maria's product is mentioned as a good source I really have no clue since I've used my own successful postcards in the past. I talk about them in the offline product but I have another one in development at the moment that will go more in depth about Postcard marketing.

I am putting the finishing touches on it but what would you guys like to see included in it?

Tim

[marciayudkin]

Another great source you can use is infousa.com

You can search by type of business, SIC Code, number of employees, sales volume, executive
title and other great selections.

Ask your public library if they give you access to ReferenceUSA.com. It is the same as infousa.com but for patrons of libraries that subscribe to it, it is FREE. I believe they only let you download 100 leads at a time, but from what I've heard, you can just do that again.

It's an amazing tool and I love all the different ways you can narrow down your target market in it.

Marcia Yudkin

[MacFreddie]

Bulk mail can be used in certain Niches, I don't disagree here.

Your Postcards sent via 1st class, was that with Stamps or Indicia?

I was answering in regards to Sending Postcards to the Offline Market, say 100-200 Mailiers at once.

The best way is still Handwritten address, Real Stamp (commemorative is better) and the Offer on Both sides. You want the mail to get there Tuesday or Wednesday for best results. You must TEST.

Mac

Originally Posted by docsulo

While I agree with 90% of your post MacFreddie...

Bulk mail nowadays is virtually indistinguishable to the customer from 1st class.

The delivery issue is another story.

I mailed over 200,000 pieces of mail a week for over 3 years. I have tested everything - including postcards sent via 1st class and bulk mail rates.

The issues with bulk mail are simple:

1. Timing

If you have a need to have mail spaced out so that response comes in evenly then bulk mail is not for you.

2. Congestion (which is really a corollary of 1)

While 99% of bulk mail is delivered it often is delivered haphazardly. There were times where a days mailing would "disappear" for about 3 months and then all of sudden hit people's mailboxes.

If timing is not important to you - forget about people thinking bulk mail is junk mail. That's flat out WRONG. It WAS the case for a long time but NOT ANYMORE. Test out bulk mail - it can make a big difference in your bottom line if done properly. The key is to test.

[MichaelHiles]

Never buy from a list broker unless you know the list source, etc... There's a lot of ways to get skinned in the direct mail business.

I strongly suggest lowering the number of pieces sent and increasing the quality of the mailer for better conversion.

TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST

[marciayudkin]

postcards sent via 1st class and bulk mail rates.

Currently in the U.S., for the 4x6 postcards that are the most common size sent, it is cheaper to send the postcards 1st class than by bulk mail. Put another way, there is no discount for bulk mail postcards at that size so it's smarter to send them 1st class. So for most people doing postcard marketing, that is a non-issue.

If you're sending larger postcards, it's cheaper to send them bulk mail.

Marcia Yudkin

[Momof2]

Originally Posted by marciayudkin

Ask your public library if they give you access to ReferenceUSA.com. It is the same as infousa.com but for patrons of libraries that subscribe to it, it is FREE. I believe they only let you download 100 leads at a time, but from what I've heard, you can just do that again.

It's an amazing tool and I love all the different ways you can narrow down your target market in it.

Marcia Yudkin

Thank you Marcia! I plan to look into both referenceusa.com and infousa.com. I have a product for offline businesses and have been scratching my head trying to find a way to reach them without cold calling. (Yes, I'm a chicken.) Chamber of Commerce is a great idea too. Thank you everyone. This is such a great group of people. Great ideas for those of us who can't walk up to a business with child on hip...

Momof2

[MacFreddie]

Originally Posted by Momof2

Thank you Marcia! I plan to look into both referenceusa.com and infousa.com. I have a product for offline businesses and have been scratching my head trying to find a way to reach them without cold calling. (Yes, I'm a chicken.) Chamber of Commerce is a great idea too. Thank you everyone. This is such a great group of people. Great ideas for those of us who can't walk up to a business with child on hip...

Momof2

The Chamber of Commerce is a good start, but they don't always list the Owners Name.

Go to your "Secretary of State Online" and look up the owners name. Most are free I believe and it only takes 10 seconds per name.

Hope this helps,

Mac

[Jillian Slack]

SalesGenie.com and InfoUSA.com are the same company.

If you are going to get a list (rather than developing your own), they are your best bet. They keep their lists updated and weed out bad addresses, businesses that have gone under, etc., so you don't waste money mailing to them.

Keep in mind when you use a service like this, you are RENTING their list and you may only use it ONCE. They put a few addresses in there to keep track of what you are doing with the list you have rented, so they will know if you mailed to their list two or three times when you only had permission to do it once.

Check out your local business journal newspaper. They often run new businesses and new incorporations. They send a reporter down to city hall to gather this information, so you don't have to spend time doing it unless you really want to.

Also keep in mind the brand new businesses are being BOMBARDED by other business owners as soon as they appear in the newspaper. Everyone else is trying to sell to them when they appear in the newspaper. If you want to stand out from the crowd, don't mail to them at this point or, if you choose to do so, make yourself stand out.

Most business journals produce an annual book of lists. You can buy a copy or probably find one at the library. The lists also appear in each week's issue. They are broken down by specific industries and only the biggest businesses (or the ones experiencing the most growth) will appear in the list. However, a lot of business journals are selling access to their entire list and you can download the info to run labels, for example.

The Yellow Pages is one way to go, but a lot of people aren't bothering with being in the YP these days.

Chambers of commerce are a great way to find businesses and their contact info.

[archivefive]

Click2Mail.com has an automated way to send postcards. Just upload a spreadsheet of addresses, the text of your postcard, and plug in a credit card number, and they do the rest. Your choice of bulk or first class.

[marciayudkin]

Keep in mind when you use a service like this, you are RENTING their list and you may only use it ONCE. They put a few addresses in there to keep track of what you are doing with the list you have rented, so they will know if you mailed to their list two or three times when you only had permission to do it once.

Jillian,

The above is generally true for the list business. However, it is not true for infousa.com/Referenceusa.com/salesgenie.com. Here is what it says right on the infousa.com home page:

# Unlimited usage for one year

Cheers,
Marcia Yudkin

[Mike Hill]

Using bulk mail rates you'd be lucky if they even got delivered and not just thrown in the trash by postmen with too much to carry. Don't laugh it happens all the time!

That's why I seed my own lists with friends addresses so I can make sure every last postcard got delivered.

Mike Hill

[Amy Carczak]

There is a newer service called SendPepper that will really automate a lot of this for you. I have not used it but I saw a live demo one time.

[TimCastleman]

The place I use does the mailing for you. Not to mention once you buy a list you own it for a lifetime. I am guessing that between renting a list and owning it I would prefer the later. Not to mention a cheaper price to print cards and have them even mail them. I just send payment and they do the rest.

Tim

[MacFreddie]

Originally Posted by TimCastleman

The place I use does the mailing for you. Not to mention once you buy a list you own it for a lifetime. I am guessing that between renting a list and owning it I would prefer the later. Not to mention a cheaper price to print cards and have them even mail them. I just send payment and they do the rest.

Tim

A lot of places will rip you off if done that way.

How are you assuring that no fraud is involved. I know a lot of people who got burned in the mortgage business using this methond.

They claim 5k sent, when in fact only 4,500 were sent.

[Bruce Wedding]

Originally Posted by Shane Hale

If you want a targeted mailing list you can pay for physical mailing lists at nextmark.com. It is a awesome collection of niche mailing lists offline.

They have some nice lists for sure. The problem is, for most Warriors, the 5,000 minimum takes them out of the game before they get started. InfoUSA has no minimum buy.

[4morereferrals]

I use SendOutCards.com ... its not going to be the lowest cost option, but Im going for deliverability and conversion ... and a way to stand out.

[marciayudkin]

There is a newer service called SendPepper that will really automate a lot of this for you.

Wow, they do have some amazing capabilities, but they sure do get you coming and going.

* There is a monthly fee in addition to whatever postcards you send.
* They do not offer the usual size postcards, only jumbo sized, which are an unnecessary extra expense for many businesses, since the postage costs significantly more for that size.

This service would not be worth it for a single isolated campaign, and probably not for sending postcards only, but mostly if you gave up your current autoresponder service and switched to them for email AND postcards.

Still, thanks for the heads up on them.

Marcia Yudkin

[Jimerson Farveez]

I think you do not want any permission to send a postcard.
To get list of small busines owners, you can use google local search or google review pages....

[miwriting]

I've used Vistaprint a few times, which worked out well. They are inexpensive and often have offers for free postcards. I always used my own list, but you can purchase mailing lists from them, which are provided by Accudata.

For my lists, I've often used the local Chamber of Commerce for all of the surrounding towns. If you can't find contact info for owners, execs, etc. you can try Manta.com, which has small to medium businesses listed, along with contact information.

Good luck!

[iw433]

CLUBFLYERS.com Right now they have a good deal going on.

[ksmike]

PostcardBuilder.com always did a great job for me.

Mike

[TimCastleman]

Guys I am so excited. Just finished The Postcard Marketing Superstar book and video program for you. Thanks for the PM's about what some of you wanted included - I tried to get everything in there for you.

I tried to cover everything that has been responsible for me putting over $25,000 in my pocket (part time) with Postcards. I even shot some cool videos to go along with it and am throwing in a postcard template as well.

While the website is being built I am going to throw this up for $17 at the WSO later today.

Thanks again for the PM's!

Tim

[marketingwizard]

I just sent out postcards via SendOutCards - to my Internet Marketing on a Shoestring students. I got an email from one of them thanking me for the card. I put a welcome message in the card along with some getting started tips and login details.

I will be linking the cards together (like an auto responder - but through the mail) so that each week they get a recap of that week's lesson along with a reminder of the Action Steps.

I find it sets me apart to be an online marketer sending something in the mail that connects them to me and that they have easy access to.

If anyone on the forum wants to send a card to someone they love - feel free - my treat. As they say, "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!

KeepInTouchKeepInMind.com

I'm off to explore more of the forum - take care all!
D'vorah

[TimCastleman]

Do you have a scan of one of the cards? I'd like to see how one looks. Congrats on the offline steps. I like to send thank you cards as well. Really separates you from others.

Tim