Direct Mail Tips: Improving the Effectiveness of Direct Mail Marketing
How does one become the master mailer? Combine classic marketing techniques and tailor them to the world of print for a more effective direct mail campaign. These are some of our top direct mail tips for those hoping to use a targeted mailing list to its maximum potential!
When you email leads, it's very different than when you send mass mailings. Direct mail tends to have higher stakes, with more physical resources and payroll dollars involved in getting a positive result. Even though it as a whole tends to have better response rates than using only email lists, managers will often study the effectiveness of direct mail marketing critically because of its costs. So how can you make sure you'll reach your B2B sales leads and get the responses your business sorely needs? Here are a few of our top direct mail tips:
Use a "click-bait" approach, but on paper.
It happens too often: A marketing professional will spend hours agonizing over every detail of a small email blast, but a mass mailing will be written by an intern (or worse, a business manager). So often, companies that don't consider the effectiveness of direct mail marketing campaigns won't consider the copy they're putting on the page. Take the time and resources to write better copy. It's just as important to make "read-bait" copy as click-bait copy.
Get creative with graphics, and hire a better printer.
It's OK to occasionally splurge on glossy prints, and in some industries, such as the beauty industry, it's expected. Thicker stock is certainly expensive, and costs can add up quickly, but if you use some sort of tactile difference, whether that's punched-out holes or a matte finish, it will make the end product more eye-catching and encourage users to touch, open, and explore.
Give the customer something they'll use.
A trend these days is "lumpy" mail, or mail that's full of cheap items or different shapes of paper. This feeds into the curiosity gap and improves open rates. Some companies even go so far as to include product samples or giveaways, which are tactics that can of course increase direct mail effectiveness. An object as cheap as a magnet can lead to better open rates and free branding for years to come.
Still use classic sales techniques.
If you want to create a more effective mail marketing campaign, you'll need to contain these things in your copy:
- A clear call to action
- A time limit or other sense of urgency
- A focus on emotions and not features
Test and adjust your campaigns as needed.
Of course, sometimes different industries, different audiences, and different messages will affect the effectiveness of direct mail marketing campaigns, and there's no better way to understand it than to study the trends. One may choose a small sampling of contacts to reach out to first and then compare it to another group after making changes. Accurate A/B testing is very important for many types of marketing, and it's no different here. Get started with your direct mailings after getting a list of highly qualified, verified, premium contacts. Buy an affordable email database from Bookyourdata.com, and you'll also have access to the postal addresses of targeted groups you need to reach. Download a list today!