Tips for Running a Successful Direct Mail Marketing Strategy

Even in the digital age, direct mail is still a key component to any marketing strategy and in some instances, can even be more effective. Targeted direct mail has a 4.4% response rate compared to email’s response rate of only 0.12%. Printed marketing materials also build credibility with your target audience and have even been proven effective by neurological research: The brain processes print information differently than information on a digital screen. Readers of print information can read longer articles and are less likely to be distracted. They are also more likely to retain the information they have read.

Here are a few tips to make sure that your direct mail marketing strategy effectively reaches your target audience.

• Don’t forget to proofread. Nothing discredits your message and even your entire organization more quickly than a glaring typo. Read over your document several times and ask someone else to look over it as well. It’s often difficult to catch typos in your own work - and there’s a scientific reason why. When proofreading your own work, what you’re seeing on your computer screen is competing with the version that your brain is already formulated in your head. Usually, what you meant to say wins out over what you’ve actually written. It’s also a good idea to pay a professional proofreader to look over your work before sending it to a printer- their fees are usually very affordable. Evolve Impact Group offers this service as an addition to their print and design services for a minimum cost per word.
   
• Create a great call to action. Unless you’re encouraging people to respond to your direct mail, you may as well be throwing your advertising money away. It’s definitely not effective to send out a postcard or flyer simply informing your audience that your business exists – it’s expensive, time-consuming, and impossible to track its effectiveness. Here are a few ideas:
  • Advertise an upcoming sale or discount
  • Advertise a contest
  • Advertise an upcoming event or open house
  • Provide an incentive to conduct an online survey
     
• Don’t forget to 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 – with 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. 
   
• Be sure to 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.

Because a large portion of your audience will be accessing your website using their smart phone, a mobile-friendly website is a must. A recent study found that the average person spends two hours a day on their smartphone and only half that time on a laptop or PC. Depending on your target demographic, the difference may be even more pronounced. College students for example spend between 8 and 10 hours a day on their smart phones. You are likely losing potential customers if your website isn’t easily navigated on a smartphone.

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. We also offer proofreading services for jobs of any size. Contact Evolve today for more information.

Sources: https://blog.fivestars.com/direct-mail-marketing/, https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-spot-your-own-typos.html, http://evolveig.com/News/ArticleID/69/Is-Your-Website-Stuck-in-the-2000s, http://evolveig.com/News/ArticleID/71/Why-Print-Media-Should-Be-Part-of-Your-Marketing-Strategy