Successful Marketing Techniques for the Home Based Mail Orde

--> Successful Marketing Techniques for the Home Based Mail Orde

marketing techniques for mail order dealers & home-based business start-ups.
Successful Marketing Techniques for the Home Based Mail Order Dealer By A R Carroll Print Advertising: Many of our successful Mail Order dealers advertise in national business opportunity and home-based business magazines. Most mail order dealers start out by running small classified ads and/or 1", 2" or 3" display ads.

Media Kit: When contacting publications, you should always request a free "media kit", which consists of a free sample copy of their magazine, rate card, advertising deadlines, publication dates, circulation numbers, etc. Many publications offer an "introductory rate", and other special discounts to mail order dealers and publishers who ask for a discount. You can usually save from 10% - 35% or more off their "rate card". Many magazines offer "run a classified in two issues and get the same ad in the third issue for free". Some publications will give you a free editorial paragraph to describe your business or products just for running a small 1" display ad. Run a 1/3 page ad or larger in some magazines and they will offer you a 1/2 page of free editorial space where you can tell readers about yourself, your company and your products.

Classified Advertising Techniques: Utilize the revolutionary "two-step process" when running classified and small display ads. This attention grabbing and inquiry producing strategy is implemented by writing your advertising copy with short eye-catching phrases, and by using words that prompt the reader to take instant action. The "two-step process" involves placing an ad that offers "FREE Details", "Send for our FREE Brochure", "Write or Call for Free Information", "Send SASE", "FREE Booklet", "FREE Report", "FREE Color Catalog", "Full Details", "Call Now 1-800-555-5555", and then after the reader responds to your ad you follow-up by sending the prospective buyer a sales letter, product brochure, flyer, catalog, circular, or sample. It is much easier to make a sale from professional produced flyer, brochure, sales letter, etc. than from asking for money up-front in the ad itself. Because classified ads or small display ads usually contain only 30 - 50 words compared with 300 - 500 words of more in a large display ad or flyer. A good rule-of-thumb is you can usually ask for $1 - $5 directly in the ad itself, but when the product or service cost $6 or more it is probably better to use the "two-step process". Examples: "Rush $1.00 for Full Report", "Sample Newsletter $3.00", "Delicious Cake Recipes 12 for $3.00!", "Send $1.00 for 40 page Vitamin Catalog", "60 page Seed Catalog $1 (refundable)", "Red-Hot Mailing Lists 100 FREE Names $4 (S&H)", "FREE Software CD-Rom only $4.95 s/h", "FREE 1943 Steel Penny $1 s/h". Successful Kitchen Table Tycoons' also "piggy-back" their offers. Example: You run a classified ad or small 1" display ad: "Erase Debts Forever! "The Magic of Credit", you follow-up with your Magic of Credit book flyer and include 3 or 4 more different flyers, circulars or other offers! This way you make that 34