People receive promotional emails from businesses all the time. Sending postcards and mailers directly to your customers is a great way to set yourself apart. If you do it correctly, you can connect with customers and generate leads without breaking the bank.
Are you unfamiliar with direct mail or not sure where to begin? In this post, we’ll explore what direct mail is, its many do’s and don’ts, and how to get started on your campaign.
Definition of Direct Mail Advertising
What is direct mail marketing? Direct mail advertising, also referred to as direct mail marketing, is a form of advertising that uses physical mail to target potential customers. Through direct mail campaigns, marketers can send customized postcards, catalogs, letters, and more to customers directly in their mailboxes. This allows them to personalize their message and offer better deals and discounts than traditional print or online advertising methods.
With the right direct mail strategy, these campaigns can effectively drive brand awareness, build loyalty, and generate leads. Though many companies have directed their attention to online marketing, direct mail marketing is one of the most reliable and effective offline marketing strategies.
Why Choose Direct Mail Marketing?
The benefits of direct mail marketing brochures are sure to impress you. Here are a few reasons to invest in sending out brochures to your existing and potential customers.
- They can be mailed in bulk, saving you money
- You can highlight your business’s top features
- They create more interest than a basic letter
- There’s lots of space for attractive pictures
- You can have them custom-made online
- With mailers, you can send samples and other items
The Do’s of Direct Mail Marketing
If you want to run a successful direct mail marketing campaign, there are several details to consider. Here are the do’s of direct mail marketing to help you attract more customers and foster loyalty towards your brand. This list includes everything from who you target with your mailers to how they’re designed.
Do – Know Your Audience
If you don’t know your audience, you cannot tailor your direct mail marketing campaign to them. If you want a high return on your investment and a good engagement rate, you need to know where your customers live and who will most appreciate your products or offers.
Do – Send Out Test Batches
Once you know who you’re marketing toward and what neighborhoods to focus on, start sending out test batches. Assuming you have a way to track your customers’ engagement (like with a unique coupon code, for example), you can determine which of the smaller batches get the most attention. When you send out larger batches, you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.
Do – Remember To Personalize
Personalizing your mailers will help you form a better connection with your customers. Something as simple as writing their name on the mailer or including a handwritten note of some kind can have a major impact and help foster loyalty.
Do – Always Include a CTA
A CTA, or a call-to-action, is when your reader is asked to do something. This could be using a promo code to save on your products, bringing the mailer to your store to get a discount or anything else you can think of. Otherwise, your potential customers may just read the mailer and forget about it.
The Don’ts of Direct Mail Marketing
Like with any marketing campaign, there are certain mistakes you should try your best to avoid. These mistakes could affect how your marketing materials and business are perceived by your target audience. You can easily prevent these issues by considering the don’ts of direct mail marketing listed below.
Don’t – Forget To Follow Up
Keep track of which people are responding to and engaging with your mailers. By doing this, you can create a database of customers genuinely interested in your services or products. You’ll be able to focus future campaigns on customers who will be more receptive to your offers.
Don’t – Skip Over Proofreading
Spelling and grammatical mistakes don’t reflect well on your business. Take the time to proofread your mailers and ask a colleague to do the same. Together you should be able to eliminate mistakes and achieve the flow and tone that you’re looking for.
Don’t – Write Uninteresting Content
This may seem obvious, but too many businesses create mailers that are just too boring. This inevitably leads to potential customers throwing your mailers away and forgetting about them. Instead, write bold headlines and keep the rest of your written content short, engaging, and to the point.
Don’t – Miss Out on Driving Traffic Online
An advantage of direct mail marketing campaigns is that you can use them to drive traffic to your website and social media platforms. Don’t forget to include your business’s social media handles and website URL in your mail.
Beyond Lead Generation: Using Direct Mail for Customer Engagement, Customer Loyalty, and Customer Satisfaction
Direct mail marketing is a powerful tool when it comes to engaging with customers and creating loyalty. While many businesses use direct mail for lead generation, there are other ways it can be used to create customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty.
One way to use direct mail for customer engagement is through personalized offers or communications. By using data that you’ve collected on your customers, you can create targeted direct mail pieces that offer relevant deals or discounts. This helps to create a sense of connection with the customer and shows them that you value their business.
Direct mail can also be used to increase customer loyalty by sending out thank-you notes or special offers for loyal customers. This shows customers that they are appreciated and reinforces your relationship. You can also send out loyalty cards or membership cards with special offers, which will encourage customers to come back again and again.
Finally, direct mail marketing can be used to increase customer satisfaction by sending out surveys or feedback forms for the customer’s opinion. This gives you valuable insight into what your customers think and helps you improve your products and services. You can also use direct mail to thank them for their feedback or give them a discount to show your appreciation.
How To Get Started on Your Direct Mail Campaign
You can run your own direct mail campaign. To get the best possible results, however, there are some steps you’ll need to follow. First, you need to know what you’re marketing. Is it a new product or service? A special deal?
Once you know what you’re offering, you’ll need to communicate that clearly on an attractive and well-designed postcard. Finally, you must send your mailers to a target group of potential customers and monitor results so you can gather data for your next campaign.
That said, starting a postcard marketing campaign can be complicated and time-consuming. That’s why you may prefer to take advantage of The Printed Image’s Every Door Direct Mail service. With this service, we can create designs for your direct mail, select targeted USPS mail routes, and print and deliver your mailers to the post office. We make everything as simple and stress-free as possible so you can focus on your business.
We’ll Create Your Custom Direct Mail Marketing Campaign
If you need direct mail marketing services, look no further than The Printed Image. With our help, running a campaign and updating your direct mail strategy couldn’t be easier. We assist businesses in all things branding and communications, whether you’re looking for business cards or branded promotional products.
We take care of the details to ensure that you stand out from your competitors, reach more potential customers, and foster loyalty among your current customers. If you have any questions about our services or would like to request a quote for a custom direct mail marketing campaign, please contact us today.