Direct-mail marketing is usually expensive, but keep in mind that an effective campaign could easily and quickly offset your costs and increase business profits. It is why most companies take full advantage of direct-mail marketing to engage customers.
Using a proper approach is the key to success, because adequate and effective planning goes a long way in generating a handsome return on investment.
Here are some important tips you must consider when you plan a direct-mail marketing campaign.
Use a Data-Driven Approach.
Like most other marketing channels, it is vital that you start with accurate and relevant data. By leveraging current data residing in the CRM, you can easily identify the most suitable prospects for your direct mail marketing campaign. It is important to ensure that you have a reliable and updated database with all the pertinent prospect information.
When you have created a target list for your direct mail marketing campaign, define their journeys and develop your direct mail marketing campaign.
Personalize your Campaign.
Always remember that your customers and prospects are unique, so you have to treat them the right way. Make sure you use all the available and relevant information not only from your marketing automation platform and CRM, but also a variety of external sources that collect prospect information so you can personalize your campaign experience.
Personalizing offers and defining narrow segments for each prospect is likely to yield the best results. Keep in mind that you do not have to rewrite your mailer for each campaign; rather, minor tweaks can help you stick out from the rest.
You can also mail envelopes with your business logo and brand. Many printers offer traditional envelopes and specialty printers like Company Folders offers a multitude of sizes. Other customization options include taglines, calls to action, and social media channels. In one study, CEB and Radius customer results show that adding your company’s twitter handle to your envelope can increase response rates by almost 200%.
Use a Quality Printer.
Find a good printer that has a flawless reputation for customer service and quality, and then order a sample kit. A majority of printing companies will send you free samples so that you can see the overall quality and design of their final materials firsthand.
In most cases, pricing must not be the determining variable. Remember that when it comes to the printing world, it is likely that you will get what you have paid for and your organization would not benefit a lot from sending out shoddy direct-mail materials that have streaks or inferior color quality. The USPS has a good list of print and mail services.
Choose the Most Suitable Medium.
Will your target audience and prospects respond well to a brochure, postcard, greeting card or a sales letter? Which one is better and in what situations? What kind of emotions does your subject matter invoke?
Choosing an appropriate medium for the delivery of your message is as vital as the message itself; and perhaps pulling it off in an ingenious and professional way is even more important. This is why you should consider the use of professional-grade and high quality paper as well as die cuts for shaping your marketing materials so that they can stand out from the competitors.
