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December 05, 2017

6 Most-Read Direct Mail Articles of 2017

Steamworks Top Direct Mail Blogs 2017

A quick scan of the headlines from our six most popular direct mail articles of 2017 shows that it's a reliable and versatile part of today's marketing mix. We looked at new ways that direct mail can be integrated with digital tactics to improve tracking and boost response rates. We discovered that Millennials are among the most enthusiastic recipients of direct mail. And we explored new innovations that prove direct mail is at home in today's digital world.

 

Read on for ideas about how you can use direct mail to achieve your marketing goals in 2018

 

Top 6 Most-Read Articles on Direct Mail From 2017

 

1. Using Direct Mail for Acquisition vs. Retention

Attracting new customers is five times more expensive than marketing to existing ones, and the competition for the dollars of each new customer is fiercer than ever. Data shows that, on average, 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your existing customer base. And yet 44% of companies invest more in acquisition campaigns than in retention. A strong direct mail strategy should combine both acquisition and retention tactics. Learn how.

 

Download now: Direct Mail Production Checklist

 

2. 7 Ways to Add Technology to Direct Mail Campaigns

The emergence of new technologies has given direct mail a competitive edge in our increasingly digital and mobile world. These new advances allow recipients to engage with a direct mail piece using their smartphone or tablet, seamlessly marrying the offline and online experiences together for maximum results. If you haven’t already, 2018 is the time to start experimenting with technology in your direct mail campaigns.

 

3. Millenials Are Mail-ennials and Other Recent USPS Findings

A recent “Mail Moments” survey sponsored by the USPS sought insights about the mail habits of U.S. consumers, specifically as they related to the acts of retrieving and sorting mail. The survey revealed that the supposed generational differences among Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials aren’t that extreme after all. Millennials were actually found to engage more with direct mail and enjoy receiving mail more than other generations. Use that to your advantage.

 

4. USPS Informed Delivery: Check Mail Before Walking to the Mailbox 

The future is here and it’s direct mail. In April 2017, the USPS rolled out a new service called Informed Delivery that allows customers to digitally preview their mail before it arrives. Subscribers to the service will receive an email each morning that shows the front side of every piece of mail arriving to their home that day. Informed Delivery provides marketers more opportunities than ever to integrate digital technologies into direct mail campaigns.

 

5. 5 Values That Get Millennials to Respond to Direct Mail 

Too many marketers are going all in on digital strategies to reach Millennial audiences, at the expense of traditional tactics. Knowing that Millennials actually do respond to “old fashioned” techniques, it’s simply a matter of creating campaigns that speak to their values. Marketers who look past the surface-level assumptions about Millennial behavior have a rich opportunity to connect with Millennials by learning what truly matters to them and applying that in direct mail. 

 

6. Integrate Direct Mail & Digital Ads with IP Targeting

Smart marketers are always looking for ways to lift response and incorporate multiple channels into their direct mail campaigns. IP targeting, or targeting online banners exclusively to contacts in your direct mail lists, is an effective way to combine direct mail and digital tactics. With IP targeting, you’re only paying for impressions and click-throughs from the people most likely to convert. Use IP targeting in combination with other tactics to create a truly integrated campaign.

 

Streamline your direct mail production process and get better results from your direct mail campaigns in 2018. Download our free Direct Mail Production Checklist for pre-, post-, and mid-production tips.

 

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