The Direct Mail Advantage

Does a less crowded mailbox translate to a better response? The answer is that it may not. You still need the right list, the right design and the right offer. When you do all of this and the mailbox is less full, you do have an advantage. Not only does your piece stand out more, but recipients are more curious about what is in the mail. That translates to spending more time looking at your marketing materials. Another thing to note: studies have shown that consumers spend more time with direct mail and remember it better than digital marketing. Are you taking advantage of the benefits offered via Direct Mail?

There are many more advantages to direct mail that have been beaten into our heads over the years, but for you to realize the benefits you need to be doing it. That means looking at your prospects and customers as they are now, not how they were ten years ago.

Who are recipients now?

• They check the mailbox less frequently
• They read bullet points and PS lines and skim the rest
• They like a clear call to action
• They like easy response methods
• They like innovative ideas and technology

Does your direct mail cater to the items listed above? If so, you are doing great! If not, and you are not getting the results you want, then it is time to make some changes. The key is to not change more than one thing at a time to track what works best. It also helps to keep a base version going out the way you usually do it for comparison. It is ok to have several segments in one campaign that are testing different things.

Try new things:

• Change the list: Who else could benefit from your product or service? Buy a list of those people.
• Change the design: Consider what you could do with the design that incorporates the items above.
• Change the offer: Think of other things you can offer that may generate interest. It does not always need to be a greater discount. Think outside of the box.

You can gain valuable information by asking current customers to evaluate what you are sending them. Don’t be afraid to ask for their feedback, they may just give you a brilliant idea. So now that you are taking advantage of direct mail and testing all the variables, you are gaining knowledge about your customers and prospects. Continue to build on what they respond to so that you create better direct mail they can’t help but respond to in the future. Building database personas and assigning them particular qualities allows you to send the right offer to the right person.

We are in no way advocating that you should only use direct mail. That will not work these days. You need to reach out to prospects and customers on multiple channels. The beauty of direct mail is that it integrates well with them. Triggered email, mobile, social and digital channels can all drive engagement and results.

 Article From:   www.targetmarketingmag.com