With all of the transformations and progressions taking place in digital advertising, it might seem as though the old days of direct mail marketing have come to an end. However, this could not be further from the truth, as direct mail marketing remains one of the more effective and popular methods of reaching new clients and retaining existing ones in a range of industries.
Here are a few facts to prove this remark:
[icon name=”angle-right” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] The CMO Council found that direct mail campaigns offer a significantly lower cost per acquisition and conversion than digital options.
[icon name=”angle-right” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Direct mail and other offline methods saw $93.6 billion in investments in 2013.
[icon name=”angle-right” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] The source also pointed out that direct mail was the most preferred marketing method among consumers specifically when interacting with local businesses.
Because direct mail is somewhat of a straightforward matter compared to advanced digital marketing, any company can partake in these campaigns – regardless of size. At the same time, direct mail campaigns do need to be on point to be effective, and must have differentiating characteristics from those of other brands to stand out and convert prospective clientele.
Creativity is king in this arena, and here are three of the most unique direct mail marketing campaigns to help get the wheels turning:
Postcards
Who doesn’t love a good postcard? Leveraging postcards in a direct mail marketing campaign can completely change the ways in which recipients feel about a brand, especially considering the ability to customize and personalize the collateral. Local businesses can print postcards with branded imagery on the front, and a personalized message to each recipient on the back.
Remember, as is the case with virtually all marketing campaigns today, the recipient needs to get some sort of value out of the postcard. Consider including information related to deals and sales that will be taking place on a certain day shortly following the distribution of the mailings. Or, include a coupon that encourages the recipient to come into the store and make a purchase.
Custom packaging
Local retailers and other businesses rely heavily upon direct mail in their marketing strategies, but research has shown that more than 40 percent of the letters are never opened. To ensure that messages get across and recipients actually open the letters, some companies have resorted to using very unique packaging and envelopes.
Consider taking an old-time approach to the packaging of your direct mail messages, perhaps using a C5 or DL envelope rather than the traditional white ones. This will not only differentiate your direct mailings from those of competitors but can also entice the recipient to open it and see what is inside a bit more effectively.
Interactive letters
Integrated, interactive marketing campaigns have become some of the more successful approaches to branding out there, and direct mail can act as the starting point or foundation of such a strategy. Businesses can include codes within the mailings to bring customers to other channels, such as social media or even the main company website.
There will need to be some form of an incentive for this to work properly, as well as carefully crafted content to ensure the recipient actually has the drive to go online and check out the rest of the campaign. Deals, discounts and coupons are surefire ways to connect a direct mail campaign with other marketing efforts on digital channels.
At the end of the day, knowing the customer’s desires and preferences is key, and businesses who understand those characteristics and how best to tailor their campaigns accordingly will be the most successful.
