Direct Mail Marketing 2.0

Even in the digital age, direct mail remains a key component to any marketing strategy, and, in some instances, can even be more effective. Direct mail marketing uses a mail service (such as the US Postal Service) to deliver some form of promotional piece of printed material directly to your target audience, including catalogs, brochures, sales ads, postcards, and newsletters.

Why use Direct Mail Marketing? Unlike other forms of advertising (such as phone or digital), direct mail communicates directly with your target audience. You determine what the audience receives and when they receive it. Targeted direct mail continues to have a high response rate. Current statistics show a 4-6% response rate compared to email and social media response rates of less than 1%. When combining direct mail with another channel, response rates jump to over 25%. According to the US Postal Service, most people perceive direct mail as more personal than the internet, thus translating to a higher response rate. Readers of print information can read longer articles and are more likely to retain the information they have read.

Tips for an effective strategy:

• Proofread. Nothing discredits your message - and even possibly the entire business or organization - more quickly than a glaring typo. Read over your document several times and ask someone else to look over it as well. Even with spell check and other computer editing tools, it is difficult to see errors in your own work. Utilizing Evolve Impact Group to create and print your materials ensures an accurate and high-quality product every time and takes the burden off you!
• Create a call to action. Unless you’re encouraging people to respond to your direct mail, you may as well be throwing your advertising money away. Just using a postcard or flyer to inform your audience that your business exists is expensive, time-consuming, and not useful for tracking ROI. Here are a few ideas:
  • Promote an upcoming sale or discount.
  • Promote a contest.
  • Announce an upcoming event or open house.
  • Provide an incentive to conduct an online survey.
• Follow up. When people who have received your mail do interact with your business, you will want to gather data on these transactions to evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign. This can be done in several ways – by using a coupon code, requiring them to physically bring in the piece of mail, etc. You will also want to re-engage with the people who have responded to your campaign; adding them to a “VIP” list to be used in future direct mailings is a great way to do this. 
• Drive traffic to your social media pages and website. At the very least, include your website URL. You can also take it a step further by:
  • Including hashtags.
  • Encouraging people to follow you on social media by including or encourage customers to “like” your company on Facebook for a special promotion.
  • Giving out a coupon code for an exclusive online sale.
  • Including a QR code - a great way to bridge the gap between digital and print media. Potential customers can scan the QR code with their smartphone to check out your homepage or a special offer.

Statistics from the US Postal Service indicate that most Americans “look forward” to checking their mail, and even millennials – as many as 47% - check their physical mailbox every day. Don’t miss out on this tried and true method of marketing. Evolve Impact Group offers print marketing solutions for your business to ensure improved market presence and sustainable, long-term impact in the marketplace. We offer full in-house digital printing services with a variety of paper and envelope options. Our full-time, professional production team thoroughly reviews every job to ensure a quality product every time. Contact us today for more information.

Resources:

Entrepreneur. Direct mail. Small business encyclopedia [online]. [Accessed 17 Oct 2018].

ListGIANT. Why direct mail marketing is far from dead in 2018 [online]. [Accessed 18 Oct 2018].

United States Postal Service. The mail moment [online PDF]. [Accessed 18 Oct 2018].