Four Misconceptions About Direct Mail
by Eric Schanz & Kari Key

You want to get leads...leads that will turn into enrollments. However, somehow every time a start comes around, your marketing efforts have not been as lucrative as you had hoped. After another lengthy discussion with your boss about what went wrong, you start looking for ways to get better results. We have the answer for you...DIRECT MAIL! It's true! As you read on, you will find out how much you may have misjudged direct mail and its capabilities.

The thought of direct mail usually does not set off the bells and whistles that television and radio advertising evoke. However, it might surprise you what this "silent powerhouse" can do to energize your advertising efforts. Recruiting students is a very competitive business. Your television and radio spots have to compete not only with other local college spots, but also with other commercial businesses vying for your prospect's attention.

Direct Mail is effective because it is a solitary, tangible, targeted and measurable medium. Television and radio spots cannot offer these valuable characteristics. We are not suggesting you boycott these mediums. On the contrary, an effective marketing plan includes a diverse media mix. However, we have found that in some cases colleges are neglecting direct mail in favor of other forms of advertising. Through our experience, there are some common mistakes and misconceptions that discourage schools from using direct mail. Naturally, we would like to set the record straight.

Misconception #1: The Creative Does Not Matter

A rule of thumb heard throughout the direct mail industry is that 40/40/20 rule. This rule states that response is 40 percent dependent on the list, 40 percent dependent on the offer, and 20 percent dependent on the creative. It is dangerous to underestimate the role that the creative plays in getting a response. In proprietary school marketing, this rule of thumb should not be relied upon because often you are using the same lists as your competition and you are targeting a younger audience. Brief, distinctive, personalized, and functional creative effectively attracts this population and significantly contributes to a successful response.

In order to get the undivided attention of your prospects, you cannot forget your competition. In fact, you must do everything in your power to differentiate yourself from your competitors. A lot of college recruitment direct mail looks the same. People will take notice as you use graphical elements and esthetic techniques to project a distinctive image. It also increases the effectiveness of your direct mail to emphasize those benefits, services, and programs that are unique to your school.

If you have a vendor that is willing to accommodate you, try using personalized and interactive mail to increase you response. Personalization shows the prospect that you are concerned with their needs as an individual, not as just another name on a mailing list of thousands of people. There are also many ways to make your direct mail an interactive experience, thereby increasing your response by psychologically and physically involving your prospect.

Misconception #2: Try to Sell to Everyone...Anyone...Somebody?

When choosing a mailing list, be careful not to feel like you have to include everyone who "might" be interested. In fact, the wider your demographic, the lower your response will be. Narrowly focus your list so that you can concentrate on the group of people who are interested in attending your school.

Carefully consider factors such as gender, location, age range, lifestyle, and income. Since your ultimate goal is enrollment, it can also be very helpful to examine the demographics of your current students and use that information as you select your target market. After specifying what demographic you would like to use, make sure that the creative, content, and offer in your direct mail pieces explicitly cater to the audience.

Misconception #3: Ok, Enough About You, Here's What You Need to Know About Us

You could buy all the advertising in the world and still not get the results you are looking for if you do not know the answer to one simple question: "What can you do for me?" Do not get caught up in talking about why your school is the best. Always show that you understand your prospect's needs, you care about those needs, and your sole purpose is to meet them.

Direct mail can be a more productive lead source if you strive to reach the prospect on an intellectual, emotional and personal level. Instead of using the typical survey questions, include questions that ask about their hobbies, interests, personal strengths and problems. Potential student are more likely to respond to these questions because they love to tell others about themselves. Another benefit of this method is that your admissions representatives can use this information to establish a relationship of trust with the prospective student.

Most importantly, avoid the urge to include every bit of information about your school in the direct mail piece. The more text you include, the less response you will receive. You must leave the prospect hungry for more information so that they will need to contact you. And, in this fast-paced world, most people just scan their direct mail before they decide whether or not to throw it in the trash. So, in addition to your school name and the call to action, pick a couple points of interest that you would like to accentuate. This will draw the reader in and motivate them to take action.

Misconception #4: The Number of Leads = How Many Reply Devises I Receive in the Mail

The wonderful thing about direct mail is that it is a measurable medium. Most direct mail pieces include at least three ways for the recipient to respond: by mail, by phone, or by visiting a Web site. It is important to offer a prospect these options because some people would rather go to the dentist than have a salesperson actually contact them. However, since they do respond in these and other ways, it is also important to track all these leads to truly determine the success of a direct mail campaign.

In addition to tracking the leads that were returned through the mail, it is possible to use unique phone numbers and Web site addresses that are used specifically for that mailing campaign. The phone numbers and Web sites are only used for tracking purposes and are rerouted without any delay to the main phone lines and Web sites. Once all the information is compiled, it is possible to more effectively ascertain the success of a direct mail campaign.

A post-campaign analysis is vital to the success of future mailings. Marketing and admissions departments must utilize this information and work together in order to increase enrollments. Through this collaboration, they can benefit from the unique and valuable perspectives of both departments.

While direct mail has been underestimated in the past, it is actually one of the most valuable advertising mediums. Direct mail advertising is tangible, targeted, measurable, and its low cost makes direct mail an incredible value. If you apply the above techniques of effective direct mail, you should quickly notice an increase in your responses and enrollments. Your ideal recruits are within your reach -- get your advertising into their mailboxes and the leads will come pouring in.

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