Direct Mail is a targeted marketing approach that can help you leverage the US Postal Service to get your brand message directly into the hands of both new and existing clients. While it can certainly be a powerful marketing tool on its own, Direct Mail works best when integrated into a broader marketing strategy. With some planning, it can be a powerful tool in the overall marketing strategy for any organization. In this article, we’ll walk you through three easy things you can do to help maximize the effectiveness of any Direct Mail campaign:
- Know Your Audience
- Make Your Mail Piece Work For You
- Integrate and Follow-Up
Know Your Audience
What sets Direct Mail apart from Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is the ability to target specific demographics rather than just broad geographic areas. To fully maximize the success of your Direct Mail Campaign, you’ll need to understand who your intended audience is.
While some companies who have been in business for a while have detailed customer databases that they can access to help them build their own mailing lists, many do not. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to reach a new group of potential customers, there are a number of reputable companies from which you can purchase lists that target both consumers and businesses based on a nearly endless combination of criteria like age, income, industry, philanthropic activities, hobbies, etc.
Narrowing the focus of your mailing to a specific group can help make the most of your marketing dollars by ensuring your message reaches those most likely to act on it. For example, a realtor hoping to get new listing agreements could target homeowners in their area whose home values are above a specific amount. A car dealership advertising an upcoming sales event may choose to target people in their area who’ve purchased their vehicle make in the past.
Identifying who you’re trying to reach and then assembling an address list based on this information, will help maximize the impact of your mailing.
Make Your Mail Piece Work For You
Once you’ve identified your target audience, take some time to think about the purpose of your mailing and what you’d like it to convey once it’s in the hands of potential customers. Be sure to clearly define the goal of this mailing and the specific message you’d like it to communicate. This will help you to determine not only the content of the piece but also it’s size and format.
Direct Mail service is available in a variety of sizes as both postcards and folded brochures. As you think about the overall goal of your mailing, you should also consider the amount of space you’ll need to convey your message effectively. Just as you might open a long email and think, “TLDR,” potential clients can be turned overwhelmed by large blocks of text or cluttered designs. To help make your mail piece easy on the eyes, you’ll need to select a print product that gives you enough space to convey your message in a way that is both informative and visually appealing.
As you go about creating your design, you should ensure that the overall message of the piece plays into a single, clear, and strong call to action. On the day your mailer is delivered to potential clients, it could be competing against several other mail mailpieces. High-quality photos, well-thought-out text, and a clear call to action will all help your piece stand out and get noticed. A highly effective design should lead recipients to identify who sent them this mailer, why they received it, and what they should do next, all without even really thinking about it.
Integrate and Follow-Up
The most successful Direct Mail campaigns are integrated into a broader marketing strategy that uses a variety of channels to reach clients. When combined with things like email blasts, online ads, and active social media accounts, Direct Mail can take your business from a virtual presence to a tangible piece of printed marketing material directly in the hands of your clients. You may even consider planning multiple mailings over a specific timeline, each focused on a common call to action. Updating the artwork as needed can help keep your mailers fresh and interesting, while repeated exposure will help recipients familiarize themselves with your brand.
Following up doesn’t stop there. As all of your hard work pays off and you begin to see new clients, don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn more about them, their preferences, and what
drew them to your organization. Asking new clients how they heard about you can be a great way to help judge the efficacy of your marketing efforts and can help determine where to invest the most resources in the future.
Even without directly asking, there are many other ways to track the reach of your mailer. For example, some mailers may contain either physical or virtual coupons, and by tracking who has redeemed these offers, you can refine your address list for future mailing campaigns. Similarly, if your mailer directs recipients to visit your website or to send your organization an email, directing that traffic to a specific URL or email address can help whittle down a larger address list into a more focused list of high-quality leads.
Direct Mail is a powerful tool to help you reach new and existing customers. A well-planned Direct Mail campaign that understands your audience, includes a clear and thoughtful design, and is integrated into a broader, long-term marketing plan will help ensure you maximize your results.
If you’d like to learn more about Primoprint’s Target Direct Mail Service, our Customer Service Team is happy to assist. They’re available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm Eastern via:
- Chat
- Phone: 888.822.5815
- Email: info@primoprint.com
