Direct mail has been around for thousands of years and this $44-billion industry isn’t going anywhere fast. U.S. advertisers are experiencing a 1,300% return on investment with their direct mail strategies. While electronic communication continues to be overwhelmingly the majority, direct mail works and is essential to have in your marketing arsenal.
If you decide to go down the direct mail road and directly into the hands of your audience, you have to do it right. Check out our tips on the 3 Dos and Don’ts of Direct Mail Advertising.
Dos:
Mailing-list:
To have a successful direct mail advertising campaign, businesses need to focus on defining who their audience is. Simply blanketing an area or zip code with an offer is not an efficient way to spend your resources and efforts. Identify who you want to reach and then trust mailing and data experts to help you get a targeted list. This will ensure that you reach the right people and can craft a more compelling and relevant message.
Offer:
Once you do the work to define your targeted mailing list, it’s time to come up with a great deal. Your campaign must provide “value” for your reader, perceived or real. At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is to gain a new customer. This transaction should be beneficial for both parties and followed by a strong “Call To Action.” State clearly how you want your customer to proceed. Do you want them to “Call Now,” “Enter To Win,” or “Stop By?” The possibilities are endless, but it’s important to not keep your audience guessing on what the next step is.
Design and Copy:
Now that you have your audience and offer, it’s time to think about what your campaign will look like. What will catch someone’s eye enough to take the time to read what you have to say? Bold designs and catchy copy help grab attention, deliver your message, and reinforce your overall brand. Don’t skimp out on the presentation. People are drawn to good branding. You don’t have to be an artist or wordsmith to create a compelling piece. Walker360 has an in-house award-winning creative team to help you craft a visually appealing and well-written direct mail campaign.
These are essential tips to keep in mind to ensure a successful direct mail campaign. It’s just as important to avoid the following mistakes:
Don’t:
Leave any mistakes:
Proofread your piece and then proofread it again. After that, have a co-worker proofread it. Nothing will get your piece thrown in the trash faster than a glaring typo or formatting issue. Utilize resources like Grammarly that will check for grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, or even the overall flow of your copy.
Forget to follow up:
After all the effort you’ve been through to execute your direct mail advertising strategy, don’t make the mistake of forgetting to track new business and then following up. You can track new clients through coupon codes, physical coupons, sales number comparison, landing pages, or sign-ups. After you’ve collected information on this audience, how are you going to re-engage them and create a community where patrons are customers for life? It can be as simple as a thank-you note, a monthly email newsletter, or a personal phone call. However you do it, deepening the relationship with new clients is worth the effort.
Fail to drive online traffic:
All your marketing efforts should be cohesive and work together. Use your print strategy to reinforce your digital efforts. Your online footprint is still your first line of defense. Need help getting your website and social accounts up to snuff? Our digital team can help get everything running fast and ranking high.
When done correctly, direct mail advertising is effective. We understand that the work you do is important and time-consuming. Our team is here to help you execute direct mail campaigns for your brand so that you can focus on your full plate. Reach out today and let’s get started on putting your brand in front of the right audience.
