While the digital landscape continues to play an important role in daily life, when you really want your marketing campaign to resonate and stick with a consumer, direct mail is an important tool. Memory, especially reading memory, often relies on a person’s unique ability to recall text in a physical format.
Beyond knowing that there’s more likelihood that consumers will remember your offer, delivering a tangible marketing piece plays to more senses offering something your audience can see, touch – maybe even smell depending on what you deliver! You also are nearly guaranteed that the consumers you want to reach will get your marketing piece, with 98% of consumers checking their mail daily.
4 Steps for Direct Mail Success
Of course, even if your prospects are religiously checking their mail, there are a few key items you’ll want to have in place in order to get the best response for your mailing.
- Use the right mailing list. Nothing will sink your marketing campaign quicker than this one key item – bad data leads to lower results. You’ll want to ensure that your database is fully up-to-date and has correct address data for each person you wish to reach. If you’re working with a prospect list, make sure to go to a trusted data partner who can get you the best list to help achieve your goals. When you reach a sales person, they should be just as invested in meeting your objectives and getting the best mailing list as you.
- Test your creative. While this one might seem pretty basic, it’s where many businesses can go wrong. Even if you’ve been a print expert for years, it pays to know that the target you’re trying to reach will respond well to what you’ve put together. Always test your creative and your call-to-action to get the best possible results.
- Track Your Metrics. Create a system to ensure that you can see if your mailing has met the objective and created the response you want. Be sure to track the action they took (be it a sale, download, attendance at an event or other action) and then also keep track of how they heard about it. If you’re implementing a multi-channel campaign (and you definitely should be using more than one channel) it’s important to know how to measure the success of each tactic you used.
- Follow-up on Your Offer. This is especially important – don’t stop at just sending out a mailed piece. According to the Data and Marketing Association (DMA), it takes between 7-13 touches before a person will convert, which means simply sending a mailed offer is the first step in a series. You should try to pair your initial mailed offer with follow-up emails, digital ads and other options.
Related: How to Combine Print and Digital Marketing
Direct Mail is Still Relevant
Even if your business is not one that traditionally uses print tactics, exploring this option can provide unique ways for you to capture attention. For example, I recently received a $50 gift card in the mail to try Hello Fresh, an e-commerce grocery delivery service. I saved it, and plan to use it when the time is right (another common way that some consumers use mailed offers). It was a simple, bright blue that immediately stood out among my other mail. As an added bonus, I’ve already tried one grocery delivery service called Blue Apron, so it makes sense that I would be interested in this type of product.
Another interesting real-life example I’ve seen of print used differently was a video business card from a pharmaceutical company. This small, print “business card” opened up to reveal a short video clip that gave you all the health and safety information you’d normally receive on the side of a prescription medication. This was a much more compelling way to deliver the information that a patient might need to know.
No matter how you’re using print, don’t write this off as a tactic for marketing successfully and providing a standout experience for consumers.
Learn More: 10 Steps to Direct Mail Success