- Contest Factory
- March 16, 2021
With all the hype around digital marketing, many brands have forgotten the power of direct mail. Now, with people spending more time at home, direct mail marketing is not only still relevant, but it could be the best way to reach existing customers and drive new business.
In contrast to the dread people feel dealing with the 121 emails that hit their inbox a day, 4 out of 10 people actually enjoy checking their mailbox.
And studies show that open rates for direct mail are close to 90%, which is significantly higher than click-through rates for most digital marketing efforts.
Here are five direct mail marketing tips to optimize your marketing strategy and jumpstart your sales.
#1. Locate Your Audience
Before you dive into design and content, you need to make sure your mailer ends up in your customers’ hands and not their trash.
Even the best offer will flop if it’s sent to the wrong audience, so you need to think carefully about which of your buyer personas match your current promo.
Next, you need to find them. There are various compiled lists and response lists you can purchase, but your best option is your own internal database list.
First of all, it’s free. Second, you already have a connection with those in your database from previous transactions or interactions. Plus, you have detailed data about the attributes and purchase behavior of previous customers to help personalize and segment your mailings.
#2. Get Personal
Personalizing your direct mailers can dramatically increase the performance of your campaign. According to the Small Business Trends survey, just putting a name on your direct mail can increase open rates by up to 135%.
There are many options for personalizing mailers depending on your budget and capacity. Simply addressing the mailer to the recipient’s name will pique curiosity, while handwritten envelopes boast an open rate of close to 100%.
One effective approach is targeting previous customers with a thank you or birthday coupon for their next purchase. Add a sense of urgency with a limited-time off, and chances are good, your ROI will increase too!
#3. Build Your Unique Brand Image
Direct mail is an excellent way to build your brand image and keep your products and services in your customers’ minds.
The average consumer keeps mail around for up to 17 days , longer for the content they select for fridge decor. This means your logo and branding will most likely be seen repeatedly.
Make sure the look and feel of your print mail are consistent with your other marketing efforts to promote brand recognition. And don’t forget to add your website and contact information!
#4. Visual & Content Tips
You have less than 8 seconds to capture your customer’s attention, so get creative with your visuals.
Think of images that reflect your brand’s personality but will also make your customers want to take a closer look. (no stock photos!) But balance your images with your content so you don’t drive attention away from the main message of your print ad.
And don’t forget your CTA that creates a sense of urgency or intrigue to seal the deal.
#5. Measure the performance of your mailers
Once you map out your plan, get your tracking mechanisms in place to measure the performance of your mailers and tweak as needed for your next campaign.
You can also take advantage of A/B split testing to optimize your strategy by sending out different mail versions and monitoring which performs better. Testing your headline or CTA is great places to start.
But you don’t even need sophisticated analytics tools with direct mail. You can quickly check the response rates by simply counting the number of redeemed coupons, phone inquiries, or page visits. Yes, it’s an extra step, but you’ll be surprised the difference one or two words can make in terms of revenue gain! Do not forget to set up your custom landing pages and phone tracking so you can track all sales.
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No, direct mail is not dead, to the contrary. Studies revealed that direct mail recipients purchased and spent 28% more than those who didn’t receive a mailer. And with so many customers working from home, now is the best time to use these simple tips to get in front of your prospects with targeted, alluring marketing to get a boost in revenue and customer acquisition…the old-fashioned way.
