9 Tips for a Successful Direct Mail Campaign
Looking for ways to launch a successful direct mail campaign? You’ve come to the right place. We offer a complete range of tools to help you launch a successful direct mail campaign in Little Rock, or anywhere you desire.
But before you begin, let us share with you 9 tips on how to use direct mail to successfully market your business or products.
Set your goal! As with any marketing project, determine how you will define success. Is it by the number of responses your mail piece receives? Is it total sales? Be realistic, but set a target that you can measure.
Define your Audience. You know your best client and prospect profiles, so focus on those. They may be in a specific zip code, a specific income range or specific demographics. The better you define your target audience, the better your results will be. Use this information to develop the most accurate database. Remember, your own house lists will always outperform cold, purchased databases.
Identify your message and call to action. This one is a biggie. What is your message, and more importantly, what is your offer? Compelling messages, and stories, generate more responses. And your offer could be a discounted service; a gift; an upgrade or bonus product to those that respond. But this is a must-have in any successful direct mail campaign. Also, remember this – keep it short and simple. There is no need to get technical or to list a bunch of features — no one cares. Benefits sell for you so find the biggest one and use that in your message.
Solve problems with your information. Your product or service solves problems for people. Show them how in your direct mail. Short and right to the point, you have this problem, our widget will solve it. Focus on one main benefit that you offer.
Define your response action. To measure the effectiveness of a campaign, you must be able to measure responses. Make it easy for your audience to respond, and give them several options to do so. Include a trackable phone number, a personalized URL, a coupon code or simply ask, “how did you hear about us” to better measure your success.
Choose your format. Some mail pieces work better as a self-mailer or postcard. Others work best when included in a business envelope. And don’t forget oversize envelopes and full color printing – look for ways to stand out in the mailbox.
Get creative in the design. Invoke emotions and convey your message through powerful images without a lot of copy. Your design should support your message and call to action, but have some fun with it. You have 5 – 6 seconds to grab your audience’s attention; appeal to your reader’s emotions.
Mix it up. A good marketing mix is considerably more effective than a single-shot approach. Combine your direct mail efforts with email, digital marketing, social media, telephone and other methods.
Measure and Repeat. Once your project is in the mail, the real work begins. Measure the results, the phone calls, the website visits, the redeemed offers. Note what worked, and more importantly, what didn’t work. (Sadly, not all marketing efforts yield home runs.) Repeat what is successful and eliminate what wasn’t. Follow up on all leads and close the sale!
Then start over again.
