Welcome to our newest blog series from Bluewater’s latest franchise marketing webcast Mission Impossible: 7 Ways Your Grand Opening Could Self-Destruct.
This webcast features an infographic that provides a timeline and 5 powerful marketing secret weapons (or channels) to support a successful franchise Grand Opening. Today is the first week of our series and we will be focusing on Smart Mail!
Although it may still be regarded as “traditional’ marketing, direct mail has evolved right along with newer marketing tactics like search engine marketing and social media. Here at Bluewater, we’ve renamed it Smart Mail and there are several reasons why it deserves a spot in any Grand Opening marketing campaign.
Any good campaign needs to be well planned, however. Smart Mail requires not just good messaging and visuals, you must have strong frequency to achieve the best results. To that end, here is a good schedule for using Smart Mail to promote your franchise Grand Opening:
60 Days Out: Smart Mail builds brand recognition for any new business. We recommend that your first Smart Mailing occur about two months prior to your Grand Opening. This piece should be targeted at providing general awareness of your event, and your brand. Start with a broader audience at first, then get more targeted with closer geography or more specific demographics.
30 Days Out: At this point, your Smart Mail piece should be targeted to
reach a chosen potential customer in a specific geographic location. An invitation to the Grand Opening a month prior to the event is an excellent way to deliver a personalized message.
15 Days Out: Send a targeted reminder that includes a special call to action a couple of weeks before your event. Create a a promotion or coupon that will make people want to visit your store on the day of your Grand Opening. This piece might include a clever discount or giveaway, or even an online activation to help capture emails and gauge customer interest for your brand.
30 Days After: Your brand can and should be reinforced after the event by reminding your chosen audience about all the great things your business has to offer. Send a targeted Smart Mail piece that provides a discount or some other call to action about a month after the Grand Opening. Remind them why they need to become customers, and reward them for responding to your messages.
One last tip: Be sure to use oversized postcards for your mailings that are no smaller than 5.5 x 8.5 inches for the greatest impact.
Although Smart Mail may not be the cheapest alternative for your Grand Opening, it’s one of the most important because it is highly focused and easy to measure. A consistent, well-designed Smart Mail campaign can drive customers to your door during the Grand Opening, and in the days that follow.
See how Smart mail for franchises work with other marketing secret weapons! Click the button below to view the webcast and get the free infographic, Franchise Grand Openings – Your Marketing Secret Weapons.
Does your franchise use Smart Mail for their grand openings? Do you have any questions about Smart Mail? Let us know in the comments below!
After watching the webcast, tell us what you think — follow us on Twitter at @BluewaterBrand or check out the Bluewater Facebook page!