Even though direct mail marketing remains one of the best for overall return on investment, this does not automatically translate into success for each campaign. The basic steps are well known. You or your advertising team creates a physical or electronic mailer, includes the special offer and call to action and then sends it out to a long list of possible future customers or clients.
Although each of these steps is highly nuanced and can be changed multiple times in an attempt to get the best response, there are a few little changes that will always make a difference in your direct mail campaign. The next time you begin a direct mail marketing campaign, consider the following points and adopt them into the process to see if they make a considerable difference for you.
Pre-Planning the Overall Direct Mail Marketing Campaign
Corporations and large companies with massive advertising departments naturally have a back-and-forth discussion while creating an email template or graphic design on a postcard or pamphlet. Smaller companies that wish to avail themselves of the power of direct mail still need to pre-plan their marketing campaigns with input from various sources.
Identify the goal of the direct mail piece. Some would say this is a sale or new contract. In reality, this is usually the end goal, not the beginning. By talking with various departments or individuals in your company, you will learn how initial contacts are made most effectively. These conversations are an important step in the planning process. Adopting this change to your mailer creation methods can result in considerably more success because the postcard or letter will incorporate all the best ideas from the people who will ultimately make the sale.
Tweaking the Direct Mail Piece
Sending out postcards to hundreds or thousands of people is much cheaper than sending out letters. Sending contacts virtually using an email list database will save you even more money but you may not have the lasting effect that a good postal direct mail piece offers. No matter what method you choose, the direct mail piece needs to be precise and effective. People who have knowledge and experience with advertising understand the basics, but there are always little changes to be made that can improve the chance of success.
A standard letter or flyer in a business size envelope is certainly the simplest direct mail type to create, but it may not get you the response you desire. According to the 2015 DMA report, oversized envelopes outperformed all other types of mailers. Making a small change by using a greeting card sized or larger envelope can improve your campaign.
Postcards came next and dimensional mailers were a close third. Having full-color postcards printed is relatively cost-effective, so it might be a more appropriate choice for your campaign.
Envelopes with something 3-D inside will work for certain industries or offers. You can include such things as a plastic card, a refrigerator magnet, a coin or a small piece of hardware. People will open the envelopes simply out of curiosity, and that is the first step toward grabbing their attention with your marketing message.
When it comes to the comparison of physical mail vs. email, the old-fashioned type still wins out. If you decide to use email, there are also tweaks to make that can help those capture attention. Keep greetings personal, avoid click-bait style come-ons and get to the point of your offer quickly without using too much flash or fussy graphics.
Finding the Best Mailing List Source
For successful direct mail campaigns, the direct mail piece is only as good as the list you send it to. Because there is a considerably large percentage of people that will never respond to any mailer or marketing email, some companies or professional individuals err on the side of savings.
Watch for out of date and incorrect list gathered from internet scraping for a very low price indeed. It does not take a genius to understand that the ROI on a marketing campaign sent to them would be ridiculously low.
Finding the best mailing list source for physical contact information or an email list database might be considered a small change in the overall process, but it is one that is vital to any positive outcome whatsoever. With an expert in the field like Bethesda List Center, you do not have to sacrifice quality for affordability. The experienced brokers work to find lists that are current, correct and highly targeted to unique audiences that can offer the best outcome possible for specific direct mail marketing campaigns.
Follow Up and Building Your Own List
If all you do in a direct marketing campaign is send out 1-5,000 postcards and wait to see who responds, you will not reach the levels of success you want. Most people need multiple contacts to make a decision about a purchase or hiring someone to perform a service. Do not send out the same postcard, envelope or email again. Make a change to let the people know that this is a follow-up contact.
When responses come in, you should not just fulfill the orders or call the prospects to discuss services with them. These people should go in the database of interested parties. Building your own list of contacts is a vital and cost-effective method for improving profits overall. The old business adage that it is easier to sell to existing customers and find new ones is completely true. One successful direct mail marketing campaign can be the launch of a long-term professional relationship with a quality customer.
When a company wants to adopt or expand on their direct mail marketing efforts, all the basic information about targeted audiences and how to present the best call to action need to be understood. After the basics are covered, there are still small changes that can be made to push the rate of response higher. Whether you choose postal mail or email, planning with all input from different departments or people in your company, tweaking the mailer itself and choosing the best source for contact information will do this with ease.
