‘Tis the Season…to Send Direct Mail to Your Customers!
The pandemic has created a lasting change in the way people conduct their daily lives. Yes, people are spending more time online. And as a result, “digital fatigue” is becoming the latest buzzword in the mental health space. But people are also spending more time at home, and even simple things like making the daily walk to their mailbox – to get away from the computer screen, for fresh air, or even for a break in their routine – has become more significant.
So, as we embark on another pandemic holiday shopping season, Direct Mail marketing has the potential to be one of the most effective ways to communicate with your prospects amidst a sea of email marketing and targeted digital ads. Brands and retailers will be bombarding their customers with exclusive holiday offers, gift-buying guides, and “must-haves”, and consumers are likely to experience that digital fatigue. Cutting through all that digital clutter and delivering something fun and creative to your customers’ mailboxes this season instead, can leave a lasting impression and build a more personal connection.
Here are some ideas.
Make a Statement
If there’s one thing you can safely do during this time of year, it’s to make a statement. The holidays are a time to get creative and reach out to your prospects in fun and exciting ways. Don’t stick to the standard formats of brochures and coupon books. If you have a fantastic idea for your direct mailing campaign, run with it! Three-dimensional mail, interactive formats that require your customers to “build” something, and oversized pieces (think advent calendars), can all ignite the holiday spirit among your customer base and provide them with something entertaining to do while they’re stuck inside.
Send Corporate Gifts
From holiday gift baskets to boxes of cookies, even just a coffee gift card: who doesn’t love receiving a gift?
The holidays are perfect excuses to connect with your customers on a very personal level. Whether it’s to say, “we’re thankful for your business” or “Merry Christmas and here’s to a successful New Year”, or even “we value you as an employee.” Businesses got very creative this year with custom boxes and curated gift experiences, so this is a great way to make a statement as well! We love this article from SnackNation, which has 168 unique ideas to wow customers this season.
The corporate gift is a gesture that makes your customer – or prospect, partner, even employee – feel appreciated. Remember to keep your message genuine and incorporate it into your multichannel campaign with a follow-up email or LinkedIn message. Of course, keep in mind that certain industries cannot accept corporate gifts or vouchers of any kind (finance and education, just to name two).
Integrated, Multichannel Marketing
Of course, we don’t want to ignore the digital sphere altogether. After all, 80% of all people check their phones within 10 minutes of waking up.
Direct mail is at its most powerful when combined with digital marketing such as emails or targeted digital ads. There is now a wide variety of address-driven digital targeting tactics that enable you to tie marketing messages to an individual’s addressable information, such as name, email, or mailing address. If you coordinate your messages both online and in print, you are providing a seamless, personalized experience to give your customers the “warm fuzzies” this holiday season.
One of the most effective ways to combine your online and direct mail marketing is by using a redeemable gift. This tactic directs your audience to your website or other online presence to redeem their gift, using links, barcodes, or QR codes on your mail. The consumers can then scan these codes using their smartphones, taking them to a customized landing page that offers the gift or discounted products and services. Broaden your message with integrated marketing.
Leverage Your Existing Data Tech and Partners
Improvements in technology, such as AI, combined with increased data collection and insights from social media and other sources have made it possible to hyper-personalize everything from content to design to product recommendations and everything in between.
There is absolutely no need to mass-mail your audience these days!
And finally, work with a data partner that will ensure your Direct Mailing lists are up to date, segmented appropriately, and primed to deliver maximum ROI.