As commerce is moving more and more away from traditional marketing towards digital and e-based methods, you might think that sending out marketing materials the old-fashioned way – that is, through direct mailing – is slow, obsolete, and irrelevant to your business.
However, according to a 2016 study that was conducted by the United States Postal Service, it was found that even digital-savvy consumers respond positively when receiving physical marketing materials from companies, which leads to a better reception of the brand’s message, a higher tendency for them to remember the brand, and a stronger urge to respond to the company’s call to action. One possible reason for this positive response towards physical mail is that the tangibility of the paper creates a connection between the company and the consumer, a kind of connection that cannot be established by using digital marketing techniques.
Consider the 3 “M”s when Crafting your Direct Mail
If you do decide to use include direct mail marketing as part of your strategy to reach customers, there are three things that you need to keep in mind.
Market
The market refers to the people who want or need the product, and are willing and able to make the purchase.
Mailing List
This refers to the people who are part of the market, and who are receptive to getting physical marketing ads.
Message
This is arguably the most important factor that you need to consider when creating a direct mail marketing campaign. Even if you have the most desirable product in the world on one hand and the most willing customers on the other, if you are unable to bring an effective message to them, your business will not improve. Indeed, many small business owners fail to create an efficient direct mail marketing campaign because they are unable to bring across a message that appeals to their consumers and encourages them towards a specific call to action, thus making these business owners believe that direct mailing marketing is indeed a waste of their time and money. Don’t be discouraged when you are not able to get that “perfect” message the first time; it will take practice, testing, and refining in order to craft the message you want. In fact, you might want to test out a pilot message first with a smaller mailing list to see gauge their response and tweak it based on how they receive your initial message.
Tips on How to Create an Effective Direct Marketing Campaign
Once you have identified your key market as well as created a strong and verified mailing list, you now have to know how to craft a strong message that will compel people to purchase your product or avail of your services. Here are three tips that you can use in order to help drive interest in your business and ultimately boost your sales:
- Avoid creating and sending out junk mail
Whether it’s traditional marketing or digital marketing, consumers agree on one thing: no one likes receiving junk mail. They clutter up the inbox (or mailbox), they’re full of flowery language that’s designed to grab your attention, and more often than not, they promise a lot more than they can deliver. While you might be tempted to send junk mail to your customers in order to get their attention, this is a short-sighted tactic. While you might possibly get their attention, your customers will generally feel annoyed and misled by your marketing technique, and by extension, your business. Once your customers feel this way towards your company, it will be very hard to win back their trust and goodwill.
- Use eye-catching and unique envelopes
Using high-quality business envelopes to send out your direct marketing ads to your customers sends a good sign about how you care about your business and how your customers can benefit from it. You care about your brand’s quality and appearance, and you are willing to invest in good-quality materials even for your marketing campaigns. There are many different types of business envelopes to choose from based on type, size, design, and color. Look for the type of envelope that will stand out from other envelopes, as well as align with your company’s brand and message.
- Make your presence felt by following up after
The key to a successful direct mail marketing strategy is understanding that it’s not a one-off process; just because you’ve already sent out your ads does not mean that your work is done! Your customers need to feel that you actually care about them beyond getting their business, and sending follow-up mail especially after they make a purchase will make them feel that you care about their satisfaction towards your company.
Another reason to send follow-ups is that a lot of people mistakenly throw away mail, especially mail that they don’t recognize, because they automatically assume that it’s a piece of junk mail. It will also give people who might be on the fence about becoming a customer a chance to know more about your product and make a decision that’s favorable to you.
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