Direct mail may not be the first thing you think of when you think about innovative marketing techniques, but you’d be surprised at just how valuable it can be in a marketing mix. Direct mail marketing boasts some of the highest ROI among all modern marketing techniques, and its staying power over decades proves it.
In fact, the basis behind direct mail’s popularity is rooted in science. As reported by The Printing Report, new research found that customers respond best to printed marketing materials overall. Direct mail was found to have a 35% stronger response in areas associated with long term memory when compared with social media, and 49% when compared with email. Printed direct mail “primes” customers to be more receptive to purchasing, creating a better overall response.
However, in order to make sure you’re getting the best results out of your direct mail marketing campaign, you’re going to need to make sure your materials are top class. We’ve previously talked about the importance of organizing your content for media kits in our article ‘How to Create a Media Kit (Press Kit) for Your Website’. Today, we’ll take a look at applying some of these concepts to your direct mail campaigns. Here are a few helpful tips for getting that incredible look and feel to your direct mail materials, all for a successful campaign.
Determine Your Audience
The first thing you’ll need to do when it comes to building an effective direct mail campaign is figure out who you’ll be sending it to. In order to make sure you get the best results and aren’t just wasting resources, you’ll need to determine whether or not you have the right kind of audience. The mailing list is the foundation of the direct mail campaign, and can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure.
Luckily, building a mailing list doesn’t have to be too difficult. Kevin Johnston at the Houston Chronicle has written a list of different tips that can help you build your direct mail list. Included are tapping internal and external sources, holding a monthly drawing to pull in more entries, and updating your mailing list constantly.
Personalize Your Content
Next, you’ll need to be able to personalize your content. Personalization is the key to establishing meaningful rapport with your customers; without it, your market may not be as motivated to respond to or engage with your pieces. According to the Association of National Advertisers Response Rate Report 2018, 80% of customers are more likely to do business with companies that are able to offer them personalized experiences. Taking the time to personalize your direct mail materials may be the first step through the door to making a sale.
Use Top Quality Materials
Finally, quality brings in results, and you should definitely be investing in top shelf mailing materials wherever your budget allows. Direct mail pieces are a great place to get creative, so don’t feel that you need to be limited by simple paper postcards or letter forms. In fact, marketing specialists found that using plastic postcard mailers can actually net a response rate 3 to 5 times better than simple paper postcards. You can also look into using UV coated paper postcards, trifold mailers with pop-out options, menu mailers, coupon books, and more. Direct mail doesn’t have to be boring, and capturing your customers’ attention right off the bat is a sure way to keep you and your products memorable.
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