Direct Mail Agencies for Small Businesses

Want to hire a direct mail agency?  The big direct mail agencies work with large fortune 500 companies and won't take on a small business as a client.  There are lots of niche and speciality direct response agencies that you can hire.  Here's how to find them.

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There are thousands of agencies that can help you with direct mail

 

• Check MarketingZone's Find Experts to Hire.  Look for agencies with expertise in direct mail and then filter further to find agencies with experience in your industry and the type of direct mail you want to create and send.  Read their advice about direct mail marketing to determine if you think they have the expertise you want.  If you're looking for an agency with expertise in a particular type of direct marketing (like catalogs or infomercials or complex direct mailers), then look for the best agencies vs. ones near you. 

 

• The best external source we can recommend to find an agency to handle your direct mail is the Direct Marketing Association’s web site vendor search tool for direct response agencies
  • They list more than 300 agencies that categorize themselves as “direct response agencies”.  You can search by state or zip code to find an agency near you.  The DMA site tool lists each agencies web site and contact information.
  • Their listings just include the agency name and their contact information which isn't very helpful in determining which agencies to put on your short list.  You'll need to visit their websites to learn more about each of the agencies. 

 

Know this:

• Most agencies will only take on a new client with an annual marketing budget of at least $50,000 to $100,000. 
  

• The largest direct mail agencies work with national and international companies.  They will not be interested or a good fit if you are small business or non-profit doing direct marketing.  They work with companies like IBM and the largest catalog marketers.

• There are many different types of agencies and you should understand the differences before you start “shopping” for an agency.  There are large “general marketing” agencies and specialty shops.  Your decision is whether you want to work with one agency or whether you want to work with specialists based on your specific marketing need. 

About “general marketing agencies” or "full service agencies"

• These agencies are either very large companies with a network of specialty agencies that are hired by the largest corporations.  They won't be a good fit if you're a small business or non-profit organization with a limited marketing budget.

• There are also very small local agencies that serve small businesses.  If you’re a small business, you want to find an agency that specializes in working with companies of your size and with your marketing budget. And ideally with experience working in direct mail to reach the type of customers you want to reach. 

• The advantage of working with a general-purpose marketing agency is that they can do everything for you. 

• The con is that they are generalists, not specialists.  So if you want a direct response program or infomercial, they will not be experts like in the specialty shops.

There are agencies that specialize in a particular marketing discipline:

• Ad agencies – often smaller ad agencies act as general purpose marketing agencies for their clients and do more than advertising
• Catalog agencies
• CRM – customer relationship management
• Graphic design agencies – specialize in visual branding, logos
• Direct response agencies
• Fund raising agencies
• Interactive (web/internet) agencies
• Internet ad agencies (only do ads, not web sites)
• Media buying agencies
• Sales promotion agencies

TIP:  Think of choosing an agency like you would choose a doctor.  Do you want to see a GP (general practitioner) or a dermatologist (specialist)?  

Know this: If you choose to go the specialty agency route, then you’ll be working with experts with lots of accumulated knowledge and expertise in their marketing area of specialization.  But you’ll need to act as “general contractor” to develop a master plan and get your different specialty agencies to work together.  Just as an orchestrate conductor has to determine the music the orchestra will play and draw out the best from the different musical sections.  And direct them when to play and when to be silent.