With the advent of emailing and electronic marketing, you would think that using “snail mail,” as a marketing tool, would be obsolete. But the direct opposite is true. People love getting physical mail in their hands. People still enjoy opening a piece of mail or package that is personal and means something to them or catches their interest.
Though email marketing is cost effective and widely used, consider how many emails slip through the cracks and are never read. Let’s think about that for a moment. You know when you see that email that looks like junk mail and then you immediately hit delete? Yeah, me too. Well, that is not the case with direct mail marketing because even “junk” mail is momentarily held and glanced at.
If you are looking for new ways to market your brand, a direct mail marketing strategy can be the thing that puts you and your brand over the top.
Direct Mail Marketing Strategy
What is your goal? Are you looking for customers? The second question may seem silly, but if you truly focus on the fact that you are looking for customers, you will look at your marketing strategy with clearer vision.
One of the easiest things to do, when preparing a direct mail marketing strategy is to put yourself on the receiving end. What would catch your eye when you open your mailbox? What is the first thing you will open, outside of an envelope with a check in it?
Knowing what type of mail consumers gravitate towards is just as important as the message. You want your mail to be opened first. It doesn’t matter how fantastic your offer or brand is, if you can’t get the consumer to look at it, it is just more trash or recycling.
Think about what it is you share and how you are going to get people to look at it. Let’s take a look at some different types of direct mail marketing; then we can move forward from there.
Types of Direct Mail
Let’s be honest, you can send all kinds of media through the mail but knowing what types of direct mail, for marketing, are out there will give you a great place to start when planning your direct mail marketing strategy.
Take a look at the list below, and as you do, think about your business and what would work best for you. Also, as you look at the list, don’t just pick one, pick a few that could deliver your message successfully.
- Postcards
- Letters
- Brochures
- Catalogs
- Flyers
- Newsletters
- Sales and coupons
Now that you are starting to get an idea about what types of mailings that can be a part of your direct mail marketing strategy, let’s look at some practices that can make your marketing strategy a success.
Direct Mail Marketing Best Practices
Quick recap: You should now see direct mail marketing as a viable option for your business and brand, you are starting to get an idea of what you want to send to consumers mailboxes, based on what you think will get their attention, and you see what types of marketing materials are well suited for a direct mail marketing campaign. Now what?
Let’s take a look at some direct mail marketing ideas and what might work for your business. After all, if you’re going to take the time and resources to do it, why not do it right?
- Use Big Envelopes: Consumers are more likely to open an oversized envelope than one that looks like everything else in the mailbox.
- I Feel Something in There: Putting a little, relevant trinket, something that can be felt through the envelope works like a charm to getting the envelope opened. I still have free pens that were sent as marketing tools.
- Make it “Skimmy”: If a mailer is easy to skim, to get the information, it will have a better chance of being read.
- Promote your Offer, Not your Product: People love value, especially when it comes to something they need or want. Make them an offer they can’t refuse and promote it.
Successful Direct Mail Campaigns
Everyone wants their marketing strategies to be successful. Successful marketing = increased conversion rate of consumers to customers. Success is the real point of marketing. Below I will go over some steps that will help you move toward having a successful direct mail campaign.
- Know Your Target Audience: Who needs what you have to offer? Who are you looking to serve? What are their needs and concerns and how can you help them? If you can narrow down the most likely customers for your product or service, you can center your marketing campaign around them. It is easier to get customers when you are reaching out to the group you are targeting instead of sending out random mailings. Once you know who your target group is, you can actually purchase mailing lists tailor-made for your target market.
- Plan to send out follow up mailings: That’s right folks, to be successful you will need to follow up. Sending sequential mailings will keep you in the minds of your target audience and increase sales conversions.
- Save Marketing Materials you Recieve: When you open your mailbox, and a mailer catches your eye, save it. Why? If it caught your eye, you could use it to grab one of your target’s eyes.
- Great Headlines: When it comes to direct mail marketing, headlines are everything. To get potential customers’ attention you’ve got to grab them by the “consumer” bootstraps and shake them up. Remember who they are, what they need and stay relevant. If you want them to keep reading, you’ve got to get their attention right out of the gate.
- Automated System for your Direct Mail Campaign: Trying to do all of the legwork to get your mailers out can be extremely time-consuming. If it takes too much of your time, you may not be inclined to do it more than once. An excellent automated system will get your mailers, track your responses and track your leads to customer conversion ratio.
When you start a business, you need to realize that marketing is the most significant part of it. Marketing is what brings in customers and makes your brand and business grow. Executing a successful direct mail marketing campaign can be a significant step in moving you forward.
If you are looking for more information or help with starting a successful direct mail marketing campaign, Contact me or go online and sign up for a 30-minute complimentary strategy session. I will help you take your business where you want it to go.