Direct mail is a marketing strategy that has maintained its value and passed the test of time. This marketing method continues to be used despite the large shift in focus toward online marketing. Still, for those who plan to implement print marketing techniques, it might be useful to do some research beforehand.
In this article, we will shed some light on what direct mail is and why it is so important in the world of physical marketing. We will also provide a few tips how to improve your direct mail marketing strategy. Stay tuned!
What Is Direct Mail?
Direct mail is a marketing strategy that relies on sending physical mail, such as letters, packages, brochures, postcards, etc. to potential customers or existing clients.
Direct mail marketing heavily relies on the postal service to mail and deliver printed marketing materials to prospects. This is why it is much less common nowadays, but it is still utilized by many businesses.
As digital marketing has soared in popularity, traditional marketing methods such as direct mail are no longer perceived to be as intrusive as they may have been before. Interacting with a physical piece of printed media is a nice change of pace for many consumers.
Investopedia defines direct mail as “a strategy of sending advertising mail, such as pre-approved credit card applications or nonprofit fundraising letters, directly to potential consumers based on demographic information”.
This definition points out some specific examples of the media that direct mail can utilize. Yet, the fact is that the options are limitless when it comes to what a company can choose to print out and send to its prospects.
Key Takeaways
Direct mail is a type of direct marketing that utilizes mailers, postcards, brochures, and other marketing material in reaching out to prospects that are likely to require a product or service;
Small businesses can especially benefit from direct mail campaign, as it is a relatively inexpensive way to interact with their target audience;
To improve the direct mail response rate, personalizing your messages is a good strategy. Prospects are more likely to reply to mail that is directed to them personally.
How to Define Direct Mail?
Direct mail may be defined as a sort of advertising medium where printed advertisements are mailed to specific target audiences. Because direct mail typically arrives without any prior solicitation, some consumers refer to it as “junk mail.”
The versatility of this marketing strategy makes it highly useful for many types of businesses. For small business owners, mailing the potential customer directly is a particularly appealing alternative because it can convey comprehensive information to practically any imaginable target audience at a relatively affordable price.
Direct mail can serve as the foundation of a company’s operations or as an accessory to more conventional sales strategies. Naturally, a combination of multiple marketing and sales methodologies is usually the most effective.
Why Is Direct Mail Important?
The advantages that direct mail marketing brings make it an important part of the marketing landscape even today. Evidently, direct mail performs well and helps with the acquisition of new customers.
Direct mail is creative
Direct mail promotes creative thinking while designing marketing materials. There are countless methods to incorporate direct mail with an online business to widen your core audience and attract new clients.
Direct mail’s tangible aspect gives you more opportunities to interact with customers and engage them more than you could with only digital marketing.
Direct mail is still utilized and it works so brilliantly in part because it is engaging. By including the customer’s name or a written signature in your promotional materials, you may strengthen this relationship.
Pros
- Tangible and physical nature creates a lasting impression
- Highly targeted approach based on demographic information
- High potential for personalization and customization
- Engages recipients in a creative and tactile manner
- Can complement digital marketing efforts
Cons
- Costs associated with printing, mailing, and postage
- Limited ability to track and measure response rates compared to digital channels
- Potential for recipients to view it as “junk mail”
- Delivery time and reliability depend on postal services
- Environmental concerns related to paper usage and waste
What Are The Best Direct Mail Strategies?
The exact type of printed media your company sends out to prospective customers will be subject to your unique circumstances. Nevertheless, you will likely find some of the following tips useful in the development and refinement of your direct mail marketing strategy.
1. Focus on design
Always keep the layout in mind. Your brand will be reflected in all elements of your direct mail piece. A strong design may assist the content and draw the attention of prospective clients while also enhancing your trustworthiness.
2. Personalise your messages
Personalize any letters you write for marketing or prospecting. Using the name of the customer when speaking to them could help you stand out since It demonstrates that you made an extra effort. An individual touch is not difficult to add, and it can distinguish you from the competitors.
3. Implement a call to action
It’s important to give your prospects a clear and easy-to-follow directive with all the other lovely content in their mail. Be direct and concise in your writing, and perhaps consider giving readers a sense of urgency by emphasizing the benefits of immediate action.
Additional Tips & Tricks
- A mailer can be improved in many ways to boost the probability that it will resonate with the potential customer. Consider the demographic characteristics of your mailing list such as age and occupation when developing mailer design;
- Digital marketing and a direct mail campaign can be utilized simultaneously to strengthen brand awareness and the success rate of a marketing campaign;
- Try to review your mailing list from time to time. It’s important to ensure that you are mailing prospects who are more likely to respond to your mail. Mailing prospects at random or mailing outdated leads can be a time and money sink.
The Bottom Line
Direct mail is a type of direct marketing wherein prospects are reached by physical mail with advertisements and other information. A direct mail campaign can help to engage consumers, improve customer retention and acquire new leads.You’ve just learned what direct mail is and why it is important. Also, we’ve provided a few great strategies for direct mail marketing campaigns and you’ve got a few tips & tricks in your pocket. Now it’s your turn to draw your direct mail campaign and apply this approach to your business needs.
Direct Mail FAQs
Through the use of direct marketing, marketers can connect directly with their target market rather than relying on retailers, or media outlets. Direct marketing aims to get in direct touch with a customer. Direct mail is a type of direct marketing.
When a campaign receives a certain amount of genuine responses, it is said to have a certain response rate. The percentage of customers who respond to your direct mail campaign will help you determine your own response rate, and assist you in assessing steps that need to be taken to improve your overall response rate.
A direct marketing campaign can bring a variety of benefits when compared to a traditional marketing campaign. Some of those benefits include the speed with which the campaign can be executed. The others are the relatively low price of a direct marketing campaign, and the ability to gain a better feel for the wants and needs of your target audience.
Email marketing and direct mail marketing are two completely separate types of marketing. While email marketing takes place online and requires no actual physical media to be delivered, direct mail media relies on printing out materials and delivering them in physical form to prospects.
