Are you unsure about direct mail marketing and need more information before making the big decision to incorporate it into your marketing campaign? Maybe you’ve heard the myth that direct mail doesn’t have a reasonable response rate—but think again. Here are just a few benefits to incorporating direct mail into your marketing campaign:
- Reach targeted groups by making an impact individually
- Time and cost effective once the set-up is in place
- Physical, tangible, and lasts longer at the forefront of the customer’s mind
- It escapes the clutter of digital media but can still generate leads
At United GMG, we have the tips to ensure your brand provides a next-level customer experience and doesn’t become another piece of junk mail. With these strategic tips and tricks of the trade, your brand will stand out like never before.
11 Tips for Boosting Direct Mail Engagement
1. Get to Know your Audience
Before sending your valuable direct mail marketing to just anyone, you’re going to want to narrow it down to the customers who are genuinely interested in what your brand has to offer. Using research and technology, it’s now relatively easy to pinpoint your ideal customer profile through factors such as age, gender, past purchasing habits, and more.
However, once the analytics have highlighted the prime recipients, take this chance to get to know your audience even further by including surveys and questionnaires in your direct mail to gather information and popular opinion for future campaigns. Not only will this strengthen customer loyalty to your brand, but it will also serve as an information gateway to let you know exactly how customers receive your brand.
2. Add a Personal Touch
Once you’ve entirely narrowed down your ideal audience, take advantage of the opportunity to appeal to interested customers by personalizing your communication (link to personalized direct mail blog after publishing). Communicate on a higher level by including a handwritten note or wishing them a happy birthday with an offer or special invitation to redeem online.
Through data analysis, pick the factors that make the most sense for your brand, like demographic target or even physiological group, for example. Tailor your brand message to your customers based on their demographics or geography through the use of your data.
3. Facilitate Action
Let’s talk about your Call to Action (or CTA). The biggest mistake brands make is failing to recognize the opportunity in offering low-level CTAs. High-level commitment intimidates customers right off the bat. Often, customers prefer low-level, easy-to-achieve CTAs at the get-go and a follow-up call to action over time, as they build loyalty and get to know the brand better overall.
Before sending direct mail, take a moment to ask yourself if your call to action asks a lot out of the customer or if it’s doable request because this is the kicker that makes or breaks direct mail response rate.
4. Create a Sense of Urgency
We all have that dreaded fear of missing out. Nobody wants to feel like they’ve missed out on a golden opportunity or deal. Including a limited time offer with a specific deadline creates the sensation of urgency and encouragement that your customer needs to act fast. Using statements like “selling out fast” or “offer only valid until March 20th,” give an exact time frame to make the call to action happen for the best results for your customer, thus an impressive response rate.
5. Sweeten the Deal
Sweeten the deal by throwing in a free sample or a gift for responding to the advertisement to let your customer know that you care about connecting with them regardless of turning an instant profit and watch the response rate increase. Making a free offer entices the customer for the same reason the sensation of urgency is attractive, because you’re making them an offer they can’t refuse.
6. Tie in Digital
Direct mail marketing is an even more robust tool when used in conjunction with digital campaigns. This strength is due to the fact that direct mail with a cross-channel boost and flexibility can generate an increased return, gather customer information, and develop your brand.
Including online specific offers or coupons in your direct mail marketing strategy is crucial to a winning campaign because direct mail requires 21% less effort to process than digital media. Including a small digital element in direct mail can make a massive difference for digital campaigns because direct mail shows an improved understanding and memory retention for customers.
7. Incorporate Opt-in Texting
Through digital platforms, brands and customers have the advantage of communicating regularly through social media and apps. However, many forget the power of sending a text message. Include an option in your direct mail to opt-in to receive special offers, like discounts or invitations to events, to open new avenues for engagement with your customer.
8. Feature Mobile Wallet
In this digital age, online shopping has surged to popularity like never before with access to mobile wallets. Now, your customer can take your direct mail offer and instantly shop in your store through the web. Including offers exclusive to your customer’s mobile wallet works wonders to increase loyalty and enable quick conversion for limited time offers. There are many ways to successfully do this, including adding a QR code to scan or text into their mobile wallet.
9. Eliminate Distractions
All the points in your direct mail need to lead back to your offer. Often, the brand will be so focused on design elements to go above and beyond that they forget to make the request clear and concise for the customer to understand. Remember to keep the offer front of mind for the customer by either including it outside the envelope, highlighting it with design features, or devoting copy entirely to the offer.
10. Sell Prospects, Not Products
Don’t lose potential customers by focusing too much on selling the product. Make sure to sell solutions to your customer that they can rely on when they need to, instead of concentrating fully on the individual product. It takes around five purchases before a customer begins to feel loyal to a brand, so selling them consistency, good quality with a dash of brand storytelling to let them in on what your brand stands for allows the customer to feel welcome.
11. Push the Envelope
Get creative and go beyond expectations so your customers will take notice. Design elements that work include using a large, brightly colored envelope to catch customer attention and containing a QR code to scan to help them make a meaningful connection and instantly act on time-sensitive offers. The aim is to provide your customer with a memorable piece of mail that they feel the need to interact with and even share with others. On top of this, direct mail with multi-use design allows your brand to accurately track and get real results on performance, so push the envelope.
Get Started on Your Direct Mail Campaign Today
Spearheading a successful marketing campaign relies on many factors, but hinges significantly on reaching the specific target market, effectively communicating the brand messaging, and monitoring the results. The obvious go-to nowadays is digital marketing and related online media. However, the impact direct mail marketing has on individuals prevails in the marketing mix and will benefit your business.
At United GMG, we are here to support you through the process of integrating direct mail marketing successfully into your campaign, so let’s get started today. Contact us to get a free quote or call to speak to a United GMG representative directly.
