Let me share something interesting.
One of our home based business clients just doubled their response rates by sending handwritten cards to carefully selected neighborhoods.
Not through guesswork. Through data.
According to the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), direct mail achieves a 9% response rate with house lists – crushing email’s 1% average.
But here’s the kicker: when you combine this with strategic neighborhood targeting, the numbers get even better.
The Power of Strategic Neighborhood Selection
Here’s what we’ve discovered working with hundreds of home service businesses:
Success clusters in neighborhoods. When we map our clients’ customer bases, we consistently find that satisfied customers create “success zones” where response rates soar.
The data backs this up. The National Association of REALTORS® reports 82% of home service purchases come from within a 10-mile radius. We take this further by:
- Creating heat maps of existing client locations
- Identifying high-performing neighborhoods
- Targeting similar demographic areas
- De-duping against current client lists
Why De-duping Matters
Ever sent a promotional offer to an existing client? Awkward.
We’ve seen this time and time again with other robot handwriting services because they didn’t taking the time to clean up the data.
By having our clients provide their current client lists, we:
- Eliminate wasteful duplicate mailings
- Maintain brand integrity
- Focus budget on new customer acquisition
The USPS reports the average household receives 454 pieces of marketing mail annually.
Standing out matters.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Harvard Business Review found companies using data-driven personalization see:
- 15-20% reduction in marketing costs
- 10-30% increase in revenue potential
- 20% higher customer satisfaction rates
The Strategic Advantage
The DMA’s Response Rate Report confirms: personalized direct mail remains the highest-response marketing channel for local services. By combining this with:
- Strategic neighborhood selection
- Client list de-duplication
- Heat map targeting
You’re not just sending mail. You’re deploying a precision marketing weapon.
Here’s What To Do Next
- Map your current customer base
- Identify your highest-performing neighborhoods
- Send us your client list for de-duping
- Launch your targeted campaign
Otherwise you can work with Ghosthandwriter directly and we can help do all these things for you.
Success in home services marketing isn’t about reaching everyone. It’s about reaching the right neighbors with the right message at the right time.
Want to see how we can help you target your ideal neighborhoods? Let’s talk.