Although some people might say that direct mail is no longer effective, it can still be useful.
Many B2C and B2B marketing activities are conducted digitally.
It is a cost-effective marketing tactic. You don’t need envelopes, stamps, or to worry about addressing them. You can email your entire database with the click of a button using email marketing software.
However, this is why direct mail is powerful: You can’t scroll past it in your crowded email inbox and delete it before it’s even opened.
This article covers the advantages that direct mail brings to both marketing and sales campaigns.
What is direct mail marketing
I understand that it may have been a while since you last licked an envelope or bought stamps. Using a postal service to send mail is what defines direct mail marketing.
Direct mail definition
Paper items sent by post from a company to an individual’s home or place of work in order to promote the company’s products. The letters or parcels are sent for marketing purposes. These direct messages are created to either increase sales, gain new customers, or keep current customers. Bills are not a form of direct mail.
Direct mail is a type of outbound, direct marketing. Reverse or inbound marketing is where customers come to you rather than you going to them. An example of inbound marketing would be a blog post that is written with the intention of being found through a search engine, using specific keywords. The blog posts are written so that people can find them when they use specific words and phrases to search the internet.
Direct mail is an example of outbound marketing, which is the opposite of inbound marketing. This type of marketing involves delivering your marketing message directly to your customers.
Direct mail is one type of advertising.
Consider the fact that television commercials are advertising. This advertising is a marketing tactic. The company who hired the advertising agency to write and execute the commercial. That’s right — marketers!
The same applies to direct mail. It is often done by a marketing team, but it can be a form of advertising. When you’re sending mail to someone who has never interacted with your company before, it’s especially important to be clear.
Why direct mail marketing works
There is far less competition for attention when your message is delivered to an actual mailbox as opposed to an email inbox. One of the principles that affects how well direct mail marketing works is how often people are exposed to it.
Dr. Robert Cialdini’s best-selling book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” discusses the six principles of persuasion, one of which is reciprocity.
Think of someone who’s nice to you. How do you act to them in return? I am hoping that you are nice as well! Reciprocity can be seen as a mutual exchange of favors. For example, “If you do this for me, I’ll do that for you.”
You’ve had the experience of feeling obligated to reciprocate plenty of times. You’re sitting at your desk, working on a project that’s due soon, when you get a text from your significant other asking what you’re up to. For example, have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’re sitting at your desk working on a project that’s due soon and you get a text from your significant other asking what you’re up to?
Reciprocation can also be seen in marketing, not just social situations. The free samples given out in food courts at malls are a good example of this. The brands aren’t being kind when they do that!
Free samples provide an opportunity to test a product before making a purchase. They also bring out a feeling of obligation in people — if you give me a free sample, I now feel like I have to give you something in return.
Reciprocity is a method that works so well, it could be considered a marketer’s secret weapon. As with all superhero movies, let’s hope marketers use the power of reciprocity for good.
Types of direct mail marketing
Some common forms of direct mail marketing are: postcards, letters, brochures, catalogs, and fliers. Many of these will be familiar to you from your own mailbox!
– This overview will show you the different types of direct mail.
Which forms of direct mail do you keep versus toss when emptying your mailbox? It is important to remember that this is not a complete list. You can tell that something is direct mail if it is sent to customers and prospects in the mail and it is not a bill.
Direct mail postcards and coupons
Coupons are an excellent way to market your product or service through direct mail. The majority of customers who redeem coupons do so with the printed version. When you give people coupons, you give them an incentive to visit your store, either in person or online.
If your discount is enticing, you’re appealing to shopaholics.
If you have given your address to Bed Bath & Beyond at any point, you are likely to have received one of these!
Announcements
There are many marketing messages that are sent on printed paper, not just coupons. These are made up of different types of announcements.
Each time you share news, whether it be an event or a promotion, you are sending a message to your customer database.
The local pet store is hosting an event with free dog pictures, competitions, and discounts. Sending a postcard to neighborhood residents to announce an event is a great way to increase attendance.
If pet owners bring in the postcard, they can redeem a free treat for their furry family members.
Direct Mail Samples
If you want people to see how valuable your product is, the best way is to let them try it for themselves.
When you offer free samples of your product, you are decreasing the buyer’s risk, and increasing the chances that they will purchase your product. No one wants to feel like they wasted their money after realizing they have buyer’s remorse.
If someone is undecided about your product, wondering if it is as good as the claims on the packaging, give them a sample. This is what could make them purchase.
If you’re giving away coupons with your product samples, people are more likely to buy your product.
How (and When) You Actually Should Use Direct Mail
Send during the holidays
People are receptive to marketing during the holidays.
Why?
They’re expecting to receive gifts. But they aren’t just anticipating gifts. They’re also expecting to get cards in the mail.
During the holidays, people around the world receive letters from grandparents, gifts from relatives, and offers from businesses.
And most people love every second of it.
While they all love getting gifts from family, letters from friends offering well wishes, and discounts and coupons, none of these things are exactly alike.
Now is a great time to send direct mail to your potential customers as they are getting ready for the holidays.
Send on customers’ birthdays
Birthdays are a great time to send people direct mail because most people are open to receiving it.
If you market yourself correctly, you will be welcomed by them through mail.
What you should send prospects, customers, and clients on their birthdays is a question with many possible answers. It depends on your relationship with them and what would be appropriate for that relationship.
Well, everyone else is sending them a gift. You should, too.
If you give them what they want, they will see you as being generous and kind, just as they see their family members.
That positions your brand perfectly for future marketing endeavors.
Send to reach a variety of demographics
Different groups of people use different technologies.
Older audiences are much less likely to view social media ads or respond to private messages. They spend less time on the Internet than others not because they are incapable, but for other reasons.
Although it may not be widely known, younger people are less likely to answer sales calls or emails.
If you want to target a larger audience, direct mail is a good solution.
The idea that something might surprise you might seem strange, but if you think about it in this way, it makes more sense. Practically everyone has a mailbox. Almost everyone checks their mailbox every day.
If you want to effectively market to a wide range of consumers, direct mail is the way to go. This method of advertising allows you to specifically target the demographics that you want to reach, and tailors the message to them accordingly.
If you think that direct mail is not popular among young people, you are mistaken.
Forty-two percent of young adults surveyed said they read their mail right away and usually find it useful.
You will only reach a specific demographic if you run an email marketing campaign. This is also the case if you use Facebook, Instagram, or AdWords for paid search ads.
Direct mail is powerful partly because it’s less targeted. You can send a lot of mail to many different types of people.
And better yet, all those people check their mail.
People usually don’t throw away mail until they’ve looked at it. They don’t want to accidentally get rid of something important.
This means that your mail will be seen by your diverse audience.
That’s a claim few marketing methods can make.
Send when you have the time to follow up
Every sale depends on following up with your customers.
It’s one thing to run ads, curate content, and optimize your website for search engines.
It’s one thing to generate leads, but it’s another thing entirely to make sure those leads get the attention they deserve.
If someone responds positively to your direct marketing campaign by visiting your website, opting in, or participating in an event, you should follow up with them.
And you shouldn’t just connect with them once. Connect over and over again.
If you are unable or unwilling to follow up with leads generated by your direct-mail campaign, it is probably best not to send any mail at all.
Sadly, 48% of salespeople never follow up on leads.
And that percentage decreases with the number of follow-ups.
A mere 25% of salespeople follow up with a lead a second time, and an even smaller number, 12%, follow up more than three times.
If you don’t follow up with a potential customer, you might not make the sale. Only 2% of sales are made on the first contact, 3% on the second contact, 5% on the third, and 10% on the fourth.
So when do they happen? A large percentage of sales, 80%, are made on the 5th-to-12th follow-up.
If that’s not enough to convince you, I don’t know what is.
It is important to follow up after a direct-mail marketing campaign.
If you’re not committed to taking care of leads, don’t bother spending money on postcards.
It’s also beneficial that direct mail makes follow-up easy.
Why?
The reason why direct mail is effective is because it helps you create a relationship of trust with your customers.
Around half of customers place more trust in print marketing than any other form of advertising.
Send when you have something to say
Many marketers do not realize this, but it should be clear.
Do not send direct mail unless you have something of value to say.
Don’t send anything unless you have something significant to say.
The reality is that there are a lot of marketing messages in consumers’ mailboxes.
If you don’t have a good offer or story, your direct mail will be thrown away like all the others.
Send when you have a digital presence as well
It is very important to have an online presence in addition to your direct-mail marketing if you are not a well-known local business.
Around 54% of people have engaged on social media (by liking, sharing, or commenting on a post) as a result of receiving direct mail.
But that engagement is no guarantee.
Consider this. You receive a direct-mail piece from an e-commerce store Offering a discount on one of their products. Only the company’s brand name is listed on the direct mail piece, not its website.
If you’re like most people, you avoided working with them. You’ll simply throw away the piece of direct mail.
On the contrary, if the website URL is on the direct mail piece and it’s easy to access, you’ll likely take advantage of the digital coupon.
