JoshDirect mail campaigns have experienced a resurgence of late. In 2018, the average office worker is estimated to receive a massive 121 emails a day, with 49.7% of those marked as spam. In light of these statistics, more companies are turning to direct mailing services to ensure their message is seen and heard above the noise of competitors. According to a recent survey, more than 87% of consumers trust the message and offers in direct mail, compared to 48% with email. With that in mind, UK mailing house, Washington Direct Mail, are highlighting the tips to planning a successful direct mail campaign.
Accurate Data
When planning your direct mail marketing campaign for 2018, your first step should always be ensuring you have accurate data. Don’t put all of your time and effort into designing a brilliant campaign, but sending it to the wrong people. Your message must be tailored towards your prospects, so you need to research their wants and buying habits. Once you have that, you can begin spreading your company message.
Segmenting your customer data is also essential. This enables you to personalise your campaign even more and send highly targeted messages. You can even buy new mailing lists of prospects that match the already existing profiles you have in your customer base.
Personalise your Message
In this day and age, personalisation is key. Consumers know that companies have data on their search history, buying habits and websites they browse etc., so you should utilise that knowledge. Over 84% of prospects are more likely to buy from a brand that tailors their campaign to their shopping habits. Think back to how often you ignore letters addressed to the ‘homeowner.’ You can start your direct mailing by addressing them by name and personalising the offers, perhaps even sending them to targeted landing pages on your website.
Design
A powerful design can set your direct mail campaign apart from your industry rivals. A picture can paint a thousand words, meaning you don’t have to clutter your direct mailing with text not needed. Brilliant graphics reinforce and support your message and can stand out amongst the takeaways and bills delivered to your door. On average, direct mail stays in the house for 17 days, but you have an initial three seconds to appeal to your audience. Don’t waste it and use a design that draws the eye.
Call to Action
If your direct mail campaign doesn’t feature a call-to-action, we recommend starting again. It’s all well and good encouraging your prospects to read the direct mailing, but where do they go from there? If it’s a discount you are offering, place the code in the centre of the campaign. If you would like them to visit your website, you could provide them with a specific landing page tailored to their previous buys, for example. However, be aware of cluttering the mail with too many call-to-actions. Overwhelming your targets can also have the opposite effect, leaving them unsure of what to do next and, subsequently, not bothering.
Track Responses
We cannot stress this point enough, as you should always be measuring your direct mail response rates. If not, how will you know whether it was a success and what campaign to replicate in the future? You can measure responses through a variety of methods. For example, track how many visits your landing page for the campaign receives. Measure how many consumers have purchased an item from your store using the particular direct mail code. This, in turn, will help you create even more hyper-personalised mail later down the line.
Utilise a Mailing House
As a mailing company, we understand the importance of direct mail campaigns. We recommend looking into the services of mailing houses. Not only do they have the experience, but also the technology and machines to distribute. It’s well-known that consumers respond better to direct mailing printed on high-quality material. However, you may not have the budget for these printing machines or the time to train or even hire new staff. Whereas, a mailing house has all of the technology required. You’ll also find that you are likely to save on postage costs with mailing companies, as they, typically, buy in bulk.
Incorporate Technology
Integrating your direct mailing with digital advertising is the key to targeting your audience right. Programmatic mail is the buzzword of the industry and allows for personalised direct mailing like never seen before. It’s a mix of digital and traditional, with consumers browsing your website and perhaps leaving something in their basket, for example. The data can then aid in sending out direct mail to those consumers within 12 hours of them browsing the site, encouraging them to finish their purchase.
It’s important to get the balance just right with your direct mail campaigns, but if you follow these tips – you’re on the road to success.