You probably have heard of direct mail marketing, a strategy that has been around for decades and, until now, is still prefered by many businesses. In the age of the internet, direct mail has proven itself to be an effective way to reach both existing and new customers.
Regardless of whether your business is just starting out or has established itself to be an industry giant, your business is likely to benefit from direct mail. If you are interested, here is how to run a successful campaign:
Consider Hiring a Professional
Direct mail can be a highly successful marketing strategy, but it can be complicated. If you have to do it yourself, you need to oversee the design and the content of the marketing materials, find high-quality printers, update your mailing list, and then ship everything out. One mistake can cause the entire campaign to fail.
It would be best to look for companies like Action Mailing & Printing Solutions that have the expertise and experience to run a direct mail campaign without hiccups. They will take care of every step throughout the process, from checking content, printing, and then mailing. You do not have to be stressed or worried because you and your business will be in good hands.
Identify Your Target Market
Your direct mail marketing campaign can only be effective if you have a concrete idea of who you want to reach. Aiming for an audience that is too broad would be just a waste of your marketing budget and materials. You want your pamphlet or brochure to be converted into actual sales so the goal is to send mail to those who would need your products and services.
Knowing your target market is important for your business. To figure out who will benefit from your products and services, look at your existing customers. Analyze their data and identify common characteristics and interests. Imagine the kind of person who will use whatever you are selling. You may also look at your competitors to see which demographics they are targeting (and if their marketing campaigns are working or not).
Once you have gathered relevant data, you can go into the specifics. Think about the age, gender, location, income/education level, occupation, and even ethnic background you want to target. For example, if you are selling electronics, you may want to market to young professionals aged 21 to 35. If you are offering interior design services, you may want to send your marketing materials to families that earn around $100,000 annually.
Your direct mail provider will likely have a list of names and addresses or you can access customer data from a list broker.
Check Your Marketing Materials
With direct mail, you are already marketing to an interested audience. However, that does not mean your marketing materials should not be creative and easy to understand. Your pamphlet or brochure should have all the relevant information laid out in a way that the reader can easily peruse. It should also have graphics that are connected to what you are offering and will entice the reader to pay attention.
Your marketing material should also be creative enough to make a mark in the recipient’s memory. Yours will not be the only direct mail they will receive so your stuff should stand out.
Americans still love receiving mail, even if it is a marketing material. Through direct mail, there is a huge chance that your flyer will be read by the recipient. But many direct mail providers have a way to track the effectiveness of the direct mail campaign. In general, direct mail has a higher response rate than email marketing campaigns.
