Blog

When you get to work and open your inbox, what's the first thing you do?

Most people skim through their emails, note which ones are junk, delete them right away, and ignore some that they have no intention of ever opening before getting to the important ones.

If you're looking to garner attention in today's digital landscape, direct mail can help you get the results you want to see.

People like getting mail. A recent Gallup study showed that 95% of 18-29-year-olds react positively to getting personal cards and letters in the mail. People who receive direct mail are 75% more likely to recall the brand compared to strictly digital campaigns, which drop to a memorability rate of 44%. Using smart, direct mail marketing strategies, you can tap into this emotional response—let's discuss how.

Have a Plan

What is your goal with your direct mail piece? Do you want to achieve any of the following?

• Traffic to your store or website

• Leads

• Customer loyalty

• Customer referrals

• Special events, sales, and seminars attendance

Having a clear plan of attack before you even start designing your direct mail piece will increase the likelihood of a successful marketing campaign.

Segment Your List

You wouldn't want to market in-ground pool services to people who live in apartments, so make sure you have a clean and targeted list before you send out your mail pieces. Knowing your audience and what their needs & wants are and having a record that reflects that is the most crucial part of your direct mail program.

There are lots of ways to segment your list, or even grow it. We have discussed several on the blog of our partner agency, Imagewërks Marketing. Some of these techniques include geofencing, look-alike modeling, and postal append. We encourage you to give them a read if you'd like to learn more.

Heed the 5 R's

What are the 5 R's? They are:

• Relevance (Will you stay out of the recycling bin?)

• Read (Does your message make them want to read more?)

• Response (Will they reach out?)

• Revenue (Are they going to make a purchase?)

• ROI (Increased profit when you close the sale!)

Keep these in mind as you answer the one question your piece should address: what problem are you solving?

4 Steps to Success

You want to start with something that will grab your customers' attention, whether it's a graphic, the format of your piece, or the layout you use.

Next, you want to craft compelling copy that addresses a pain point your customer cares about, how you can fix it, and what they'll gain by choosing you over a competitor.

Third: the offer. This can be a sample or a trial, discount, free gift, special event invitation, or a Buy One, Get One deal. Whatever it is, let them know the value of what your offer is.

Last, your Call to Action should be clear and concise. If you want them to call, include the number in a big font. Want them to visit your website? Make it easy for them to find it on your piece. Including an expiration date will also increase a sense of urgency and encourage them to get back to you sooner rather than later.

Ready to get started with your next direct mail piece? Download our free Direct Mail Production Checklist to ensure your mailers produce consistently excellent results.