With more companies engaging in direct mail marketing campaigns, the challenges and methods to succeed in these endeavors are abundantly clear. Although each business will need to specialize its approach to the specific content contained within the mailings, as well as the frequency with which businesses send these items and who will receive them, a few golden rules that can guide advertisers toward better performances in this area have sprouted up.
First, let’s take a look at some of the issues to proactively mitigate in direct mail marketing.
Learn from the errors of others
Entrepreneur magazine listed some of the most common missteps advertisers will make in their campaigns, pointing out that they can all quickly hinder the returns on investment made into the marketing strategy. For one, the source argued that a lack of testing and tracking, or shoddy analysis, will make it nearly impossible to improve from one campaign to the next and urged marketers to prioritize these matters.
Better data analysis, as well as a comprehensive and intelligent plan in place to track interactions, monitor user behaviors and get the first mailing right can go a long way toward boosting engagements and conversions in direct mail. According to the news provider, too many direct mail advertisers make somewhat old mistakes such as omitting a clear call to action, failing to offer some form of value to the recipient and simply crop-dusting local areas with mail rather than targeting a specific audience.
Businesses that proactively avoid these missteps will likely enjoy greater success rates with their direct mail campaigns. Direct mail is still a vastly profitable form of marketing. Direct mail is still a vastly profitable form of marketing.
Keep CRM in mind
Customer relationship management applies to every interaction between a business and customer from start to finish. As such, whether the direct mail campaign is meant to attract new prospects or retain existing clientele, it must be directly incorporated into CRM systems and strategies. Ads Exchanger argued the average business might have disparate processes – specifically in terms of management – in place for varying marketing and customer service activities.
The source stated firms should incorporate all of their efforts into a centralized CRM process and system for maximum efficiency and control. Because direct mail is one of the last remnants of non digital advertising, it is the most likely missing from these systems. Integrate it and allow the subsequent data to blend for a more accurate and progressive perspective on clientele.
Go omnichannel
MediaPost contributor Lena Bourgeois pointed out that direct mail campaigns can have a substantially positive impact on brand images in the eyes of current and prospective customers but only when they have been carefully crafted. She went so far as to argue direct mail marketing strategies might act as a strong foundation for omnichannel expansions, essentially using these processes and the data they create to guide other practices in social media, content and other advertising initiatives.
Direct mail can also direct customers to digital activities. Bourgeois noted that the real trick is to always “keep the customer at the center” of omnichannel efforts.
