When people speak about marketing in the modern age, digital strategies — particularly those with inbound marketing — tend to take center stage. That does not mean, however, that traditional direct mail options are now obsolete. In fact, about half of U.S. consumers have reported that they prefer direct mail over email, and 70 percent say they believe that snail mail is more personal than email. Not only is it preferred by many consumers, but one study found that 39 percent of customers try a new business because of direct mail.
Brands that want to take advantage of this form of advertising should investigate techniques that will help make their direct mail campaigns more successful. Here are five key ideas you need to get started.
1. Know who you are targeting as potential customers
Direct mail is most successful when you are able to get the right ad in front of the right person. You should be paying close attention to the demographics that are most likely to patronize your business and create mailing lists that help you target this population. You might send out direct mail based on location, such as targeting certain neighborhoods, or based on factors such as recent home purchases. The more accurate your target audience, the better response you will see.
2. Have a design that stands out
Customers today receive about 40 pounds or more of direct mail each year. For brands that want to get a good response rate for their efforts, the importance of standing out from this crowd cannot be underestimated. There are a variety of methods brands can use to make sure that their direct mail efforts stand out from the rest. Many brands find success by using unique messaging and images on the actual cards themselves. It is also possible to use special die cuts that relate to your brand, such as a cupcake-shaped mail piece for a bakery, or eye-catching finishes.
3. Add a personal URL to personalize your messaging
The more personal you can make the messaging you display on your direct mail pieces, the easier it will be to engage with your new prospects. Customers appreciate it when they feel as though brands care about their particular needs. Adding a personalized URL to your messaging, such as one from EasyPURL, can increase conversion by 350 percent. These types of personalized URLs will allow you to display promotions and information that are specifically tailored to this prospect. It also helps you track the movements of the people who arrive from your direct mail advertising, which will help you refine and improve your campaigns moving forward.
4. Have a strong call-to-action
Customers want to know exactly what you expect from them. When your marketing materials offer multiple CTAs or an unclear course of action for customers to take, it can confuse people and potentially make them less likely to actually make a purchase. Your CTA should explain exactly what you want people to do and why they should do it.
5. Follow-up based upon the activity of the prospect
Once you have sent out the direct mail marketing piece, you then need to track the success of your efforts so that you can accurately determine how well you are meeting the needs of your prospects. Once they visit a PURL, you will be able to start tracking their activity, such as how long they stayed on your site and whether or not they clicked through to other pages on your domain. You can use this insight to better understand what they are interested in and what might entice them to become a customer. This will then help your follow-up marketing efforts be more effective and personalized.
Direct mail can still be an important part of a multi-channel advertising strategy. Taking advantage of personalization options, such as a PURL, can help take your efforts to the next level and improve your ROI. Keep these ideas in mind and develop strategies that will be effective at drawing in your customers.
