Did you know that 59% of email users say they get non-relevant emails every day? The chances of your company’s email getting lost in their inbox or deleted before it’s read are very high. Consumers like to feel nurtured and have relationships with their favourite companies instead of feeling like a cog in the wheel of their marketing efforts.

Direct mail marketing hits your target audience right in their physical mailboxes. You can send out catalogues, flyers, or postcards to inform your potential customers about an upcoming sale or product launch.

This guide will discuss everything you need to know about direct mail marketing and how you can make a significant impact with a single piece of mail.

What Is Direct Mail Marketing?

Direct mail marketing means physical correspondence you send to current and potential customers to promote your business. The goal is to get them to purchase a product or service or come into your physical location.

Direct mailers need to include the following items:

  • Imagery and copy that identify your business
  • A way for your customers to contact you, including your phone number, email address, and physical address
  • A call to action

Direct mail gives businesses more return on investment (ROI). The average mail response rate for direct mail is around 9%. Approximately 87% of that segment has been driven to make an online purchase from that business.

Direct mail will provide your business with more immediate responses, opening the door for additional engagement online. Your conversions and sales will increase as the targeted customers head to your website.

To print high-quality materials, you can partner with a mailing house, like imail comms. We can help you send your direct mail via Royal Mail at affordable rates.

Benefits of Direct Mail Marketing

One of the primary benefits of direct mail marketing is that it’s interactive. Your customers will physically handle the piece of mail you send them. They’ll look at it before deciding whether to act on the CTA or throw it in the trash.

Including something like a QR code, coupon, or promotional offer will increase your customers’ chances of keeping the piece of mail.

Getting physical mail also evokes feelings of nostalgia. Receiving letters or postcards in the mail is so rare these days. You’re likely to spark an emotional response in your recipient if you include a handwritten signature or note.

You can also have a more extensive reach with direct mail marketing than you would with email or social media marketing. With direct mail, you can target potential customers that would’ve missed a digital ad or an email.

Direct mail also allows you to be creative with high-quality mail campaigns. With direct mail, you can engage multiple senses of your recipients, whereas digital marketing is just visual.

Additionally, there is less competition when you use direct mail marketing. More companies opt for digital marketing efforts since it’s thought to be more environmentally friendly. Since not as many companies use direct mail, it’s easier for you to get noticed.

Most people skim through their physical mail before tossing it. A creative and colourful piece of mail will stand out more than it would in the digital space.

Mail Marketing

The Dos and Don’ts of Running a Direct Mail Campaign

Getting a direct mail campaign up and running is straightforward. Let’s discuss some common dos and don’ts to save yourself money, energy, and time.

Do: Figure Out Who Your Audience Is

Whether you’re offering a product or service, you need to determine who your audience is. Focus your efforts on who your services and products are best suited for.

While direct mail campaigns have a high response rate and ROI, you don’t need to spend money by targeting customers who aren’t interested in what you have to offer. Spend time researching your target market.

Do: Conduct Tests

You should send out some test batches when you’ve figured out who your market is and what neighbourhoods you want to target. Send mailings to a few of your customer segments, ensuring you track your results.

For example, if you’re sending out a coupon for a product, use a unique code. Track who redeems the code on your website or at your location to determine your campaign’s effectiveness.

Do: Drive Your Traffic to Your Digital Presence

Direct mail will likely be one aspect of your marketing efforts. Most brands will conduct the majority of their business online.

Take advantage of direct mail’s high response rate to drive recipients to your website and social media platforms. Once you’ve gotten their attention, encourage them to follow your company online so they can stay up to date with your products.

You can also link both your digital and physical marketing campaigns with some of the following strategies:

  • Giveaways on social channels
  • Hashtag campaigns
  • Scannable coupons

Don’t: Send Out Mailers With Errors

Your mail will create a lasting impression on whoever reads it. You should ensure that’s it’s free of grammatical errors and typos. Have multiple people read through the document to guarantee everything is correct.

If you include a coupon or QR code, double-check that it works. The last thing you want is to get potential customers to your website, only to be hit with an error code when they try to redeem your offer.

You also want to check that your copy reads well. It should hit your brand’s tone and have a good flow.

Don’t: Fail to Follow Up

As you monitor your results from your direct mail campaigns, keep track of who is and isn’t responding. You’ll have a database of engaged customers that will typically be receptive to future mailings. If specific customers aren’t engaging, you don’t need to continue to send them mailings in the future.

Incorporate Direct Mail Marketing Into Your Initiatives

Direct mail marketing is a great way to connect with your target audience. While an older form of marketing, it’s a great way to target consumers.

Contact us to learn more about how our services can benefit your business.

Learn more on: How to Track & Measure Direct Mail Campaigns For Success