A hardwood floor contractor in Durham, North Carolina generates at least three jobs monthly by mailing postcards to neighbors of recent customers through an automated marketing service, proving that direct mail combined with an active website and social media presence remains an effective strategy for local service businesses.
- Santi Hardwood Floors owner Julio Santiago lands at least 3 jobs monthly through postcard direct mail campaigns costing a few hundred dollars per month.
- The strategy works by mailing postcards to three neighbors on each side of customers currently having work done, capitalizing on the visibility of the contractor's wrapped van in the driveway.
- A professional website is essential—most prospects visit online or book appointments through the site rather than calling directly.
- Combining direct mail with active social media and website management creates a powerful marketing system that drives qualified leads and foot traffic to the showroom.
- The contractor partners with a local marketing professional for weekly two-hour meetings to maintain digital presence, viewing this investment as critical to business growth.
Every time Santi Hardwood Floors Owner Julio Santiago mails postcards to homeowners in the greater Durham, N.C., area, he lands at least three jobs. Santiago spends a few hundred dollars a month to have automated marketing service SendJim mail postcard advertisements to the neighbors of recent customers, and he says it works like a charm. As the Santi team works on a floor, their wrapped van sits in the home’s driveway and catches the neighborhood’s attention. “Two weeks later, they get a card by mail,” Santiago says. Three neighbors to the left and three to the right automatically receive mailers via SendJim.
Santi Hardwood Floors' van sits outside the client's home, advertising Santi's services. Then, the neighbors receive a postcard in the mail.
Three neighbors to the left and three to the right receive Santi's postcard in the mail.
Most recipients either call Santi or visit the website, and some go a step further. “People even walk into the showroom with the card. They got it in the mail and want to see what it’s all about,” Santiago says. For this tool to work, however, Santiago points out that businesses must have a website for prospects to find more information and request a quote. “Nowadays people would rather use a website to book an appointment,” he says. That’s why he partners with a local marketing professional to keep his website and social media up to date and engaging. “Having her on my team is a game changer,” he says, adding that their two-hour meetings once a week are a small price to pay for a growing customer base.
