Don't Forget Mail

We held an event recently and didn’t follow our own advice—the advice we give clients, that is. We neglected to promote it through a well-coordinated combination of direct mail, email (both blasts and individual) and social media.

The event was in partnership with another firm, and the folks there decided to promote it solely through email. We followed their lead. We also made a substantial investment in paid social-media promotion.

In today’s world, we are all inundated with email and easily distracted by any number of factors when perusing social media. I have allocated two time blocks each week just to review email and be sure that I have not missed something important. I have to confess that I’ve been known to delete an email by mistake on my phone.

We find that an attractive, oversized postcard is an excellent way to get a message across by mail. Even if people throw it away, they most often glance at the message before they do.

Our event went well, and we’re going to repeat it in a few months. But next time, we’ll treat the promotion like we would advise a client—we’ll have a calendar from several months out of a mix of email blasts, direct mail, social media, individual emails and phone calls.

Don’t forget to have the right promotional mix to get your message across. And don’t forget the old snail mail!