Is direct mail still relevant? That’s a question many marketers and businesses want (and need) to know as they try to allocate money to the channels that provide the best boost to their ROI. A few months ago we asked the same question about the modern merits of print media in general (you can read that blog post here), and we concluded with a resounding “YES.” Print media is relevant when done well. So when you decide to send a direct mail postcard to your customer base, what steps can you take to make it great?
Catch their eye right away
Whether it’s a bold and attractive color palette, an exciting incentive, or a provocative question, make sure the first thing your potential customer sees will interest them enough that they will continue to read to see what you have to offer. Most people don’t have the time or the motivation to pay attention to an ad that doesn’t spark their interest immediately.
Focus on one call to action
It’s tempting to include a ton of wordy content on a direct mail piece in order to get a point across, because unlike an internet ad or email blast, the customer receiving the postcard can’t click to “read more.” But when it comes to direct mail postcards, less really is more. Tell the potential customer what you want them to do, provide a link to your website/social media pages, and leave it at that. No clutter, no confusion.
Know who you are reaching, and get personal
When planning your direct mail postcard campaign, pick your target audience and market to it. This involves a plan of attack that should probably be more intricate than distributing postcards to, say, one zip code or neighborhood. Similarly, make sure that your mailing list, especially if you buy it from a distributor, is qualified and relevant to your purpose. Once you’ve isolated your audience, ensure that the design and content of the direct mail piece appeals to that audience in a way that will generate a response. This sort of model might require a few small, specific, postcard variations sent out in spurts, rather than one big, general mailing.
Track your feedback
This is the most important aspect of the process as it deals with what we all want from our marketing investment….RESULTS! There are a few effective ways to track the results of a direct mail campaign. Always, whether by way of a contact form on your website or simple question over the phone, ask your new or potential customer, “How did you hear about us?” Alternatively, some marketers suggest including a code on the direct mail postcard that the customer can enter on the website upon registration (if that works with the nature of your product of service).
The need to track a mail campaign is another reason to send out a series of small, specific mailings instead of a single large mailing. A more compartmentalized campaign is less of a headache to track accurately.
You might be amazed at the power of an eye-catching, concise, personal, and smartly-targeted direct mailing. No matter how you do it, measuring, measuring, and re-measuring the results of your direct mail campaign is the only way to decide whether it is a lucrative tactic for your business!
Let the Primm Company help you strategize for and craft a striking direct mail piece. Call 757-623-6234 today.
Source: The Direct Marketing Voice