Invitation Marketing

How To Use Invitation Marketing to Grow Your Business

Direct-mail invitations are a great way to get guests (customers, clients and prospects) to attend a business event, whether it's a seminar, conference, demo-day or trade show.

To bring more customers into your business they need a good solid a reason. Whether you are reaching out to existing customers or trying to attract new ones, a great way to by sending a personal invitation through the mail.

Set a clear, well-defined goal for your invitations. You might want customers and clients to attend an event such as a trade show, conference or seminar; or, you might be inviting them to join in a special offer.

No matter what you're invitation is for, your invitations are where you can really pre-qualify leads and weed out any unlikely buyers.

Do not offer something for free - the goal is not to build your list, it is to get as many customers as possible.
You can employ a many different methods to weed out the non-buyers from the buyers and thus increase the efficiency of your sales efforts. By finding likely buyers with invitation marketing, you will stop wasting time on unqualified leads and start making money from qualified customers.

The beauty of invitation marketing is it's still tne one mail package format that attracts prospects’ attention year after year. Even if the envelope gives a clue that the contents are a marketing promotion, people open the envelope because they’re curious and they don’t want to miss an invitation to something important or special.

Here are 10 ways to make your invitation something special:

Mail often, continually reminding customers to come back in; Repetition builds exposure, keep your name in front of your clients and prospects.
Use proper invitation cards rather than standard business envelopes.
Invest in quality paper stock for the invitation.
Personalize each envelope and each invitation. The newer "handwritten" scripts look fantastic.
If appropriate, include a map with directions to your event.
Hold a private, invitation-only sale. Show your appreciation to good customers with a special event that only they can attend.
Start a birthday or anniversary club and invite the "birthday boy" or girl in for a special treat.
Send a coupon calendar with an invitation to your promotional events.
Start a referral program and reward customers who pass your name along to others.
Bring in guest speakers to give demonstrations and seminars to your clients.

With a little forethought, Invitation Marketing can become a key component in the successful growth of your business.

Invitations and Invitation style mail packages are effective for many different promotions,and they’re also useful when prospecting. They can introduce new products and services or new locations.

Tuck away this idea for the time you can use it to get the special attention this format generates.

Budget: $250 - $1,000 per mailing