Direct Mail
So what’s the real deal with mail and direct mailing?
The redesign of the mail truck aside, a couple of things have me thinking about the mail. And one is whether or not direct mail is worth it for companies. So I did some digging for you to find out if you should be spending some of your marketing budgets on direct mail and what the best strategy is. After all, my aquarium membership expiry date is creeping up and I received 2 postcard reminders on the SAME DAY (not to mention another letter 2 days later)! Was that to get my attention or was there an error made somewhere along the line?
Is direct mail still relevant?
YES! 60% of companies sending direct mail say it’s their highest ROI marketing channel and over 50% of companies see response rates of 5% or higher on their direct mail campaigns. Households receive 16.8 mail pieces per week; just compare that to the amount of email your receive each week(HUNDREDS)! There is far less competition in your physical mailbox than there is in your email! PLUS, 90% of direct mail gets opened compared to 20-30% of email. Of course, digital marketing is beneficial and should be part of any marketing strategy. Combine that and direct mail marketing and you could see website visits increase 68%. But wait, there’s more….with informed delivery from USPS, people get a glimpse of what’s coming in their mail directly to their email – and this can include a link to your URL. Talk about omnichannel marketing!
What should I be sending?
All age groups respond to direct mail and 54% of consumers say that they want direct mail from brands that interest them.
Retention Campaigns
It is always more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain a current customer. (So that’s why the aquarium is hitting my mailbox so hard!). The better your business is at nurturing your current customers through the customer lifecycle the greater success your company will have. Give your current customers a great experience and they will be more likely to refer you to their friends and family! Use direct mail to upsell products and offer items or services that complement their recent purchase.
Acquisition Campaigns
Acquisition campaigns can get your business in front of your audience in a personalized and creative way. Even during an economic downturn, direct mail allows you to tell your story and build trust. It is a powerful tool in gaining the attention of your target audience.
Direct Mail Design
While ⅓ of letter-size envelopes get opened, postcards are hard to miss and catalogs are saved for later. Make sure your mailer is personalized and colorful to grab your audience’s attention.
Personalization
Personalization is important in other marketing channels, so it makes sense that it is also relevant in direct mail. Use it to deliver more focused and personalized messages to your customers. The easiest way to do this right now is text-based (like including their name). Some companies are playing with using custom imagery for specific segments of their audience.
Make sure you are able to track success and failures
When sending out your pieces make sure you are able to track your results! Add a unique phone number to the postcard you’re mailing, that way you know when someone calls that number, it is because of that specific marketing piece. Or use a coupon code that is only used for that campaign.
Maintain your address list
It can be costly to maintain a reliable address list. Use technology to your advantage to keep your address list up to date! A poor address list will result in a lower campaign success rate! Data services can match email addresses and physical addresses.
Outsourcing
While direct mail is generally ROI positive, there is normally a higher cost associated with running a direct mail campaign than a digital marketing campaign. A specialized marketing company can help you overcome these hurdles!
Happy Monday! Have a great and productive week!
Allyce Mitchell
RevMarketing.com
https://comparecamp.com/direct-mail-statistics/
https://go.lob.com/rs/900-QJF-050/images/The%20State%20of%20Direct%20Mail%20R8.pdf
https://www.compu-mail.com/statistics/25-direct-marketing-statistics-for-2020
https://www.usps.com/business/pdf/informed-delivery-overview.pdf