Everything You Need To Know About Direct Mail
Looking for an effective way to promote your small business? If so, nothing can be a better option than direct mailing. If you are new to direct mail for your business, it can seem overwhelming. But the truth is, it is easy and affordable to promote your business through mailbox.
When it comes to direct mail marketing, it is all about planning, setting a goal, making a direct-mail strategy and implementing that plan. Here is an overview of direct mail options that you need to know before running a direct mail campaign.
What is Direct Mail?
Direct mail is a type of marketing that involves delivering tangible promotional material through the United States Postal Service to residential or commercial premises. Direct mail is effective when the right message reaches someone who has the specific need or want in the product or service being advertised. Unlike advertising material (which speaks to everyone in the hopes that those who are in the target market will hear the message), direct mail speaks only to those buyers most likely to want what’s being promoted.
Why is Direct Mail Gaining Popularity?
Although digital marketing is a good way to solicit for prospects, direct mail offers some unique benefits. Customers you gain and money you save in the long run is worth giving direct mail marketing a try. Direct mail also helps build credibility with your customers. Also, 56% of consumers report mail is the most trustworthy type of advertising. If you are still unsure why direct mailing is gaining popularity, here are a few convincing reasons.
Direct Mail Offers Highly Specific Targeted Marketing
Direct mailing allows you to meet your target market’s needs. You can achieve this mail by customizing mailings to appeal to a specific group of prospects. When you use direct mailing, you will save time and money by filtering out unnecessary content that works to motivate prospects to “calls to action.”
Direct Mail Allows Marketing Material Variety and Appeal
With direct mail, you can send different types of mailings to diverse targets in order to get the results you want. For example, you may send out postcards to all of your current customers, as well as to prospects for promoting a sale or store grand opening. A monthly newsletter is another way of communicating with your target market through direct mailings.
Direct Mail Often Conveys Legitimacy
Unlike an email from a hard-to-locate sender, direct mail adds a sense of legitimacy. This way allows customers or prospects to easily get in touch with you.
Business owners are choosing direct mailing just because of the easy campaign cost flexibility, analytics management and so much more. When you use direct mailing, you will gain a well-rounded marketing mix that puts you in a better position to rise over your competition.
Direct Mailing Options For Small Businesses
If you are ready to use direct mail for your small business, there are two direct-mail options to choose from: traditional direct mail or Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM).
Direct Mail
Direct mail allows you to send postcards, catalogs, flyers, brochures, sales letters and more via the USPS to your audience. You can use your own mailing list or purchase a mail list from a mailing house. You can fine-tune your mailing list and target your customers by age, income, gender and other characteristics.
EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)
If you don’t have a mailing list, you might want to give Every Door Direct Mail a try. EDDM is a USPS service designed to reach customers with targeted mailers in specific neighborhoods. All you need to do is enter an address or ZIP code to select your target neighborhoods and your postcard is then sent to – you guessed right – every home in your chosen neighborhoods.
4 Best Practices For Cost-Effective Direct Mail
It is easy for your message to get lost online, that’s why direct mail is still the best option. But ensuring that your customers see your marketing efforts in their mailbox requires some best practices to make it all worthwhile. When it comes to organizing your direct mail campaigns, think about your prospective customers and what they most want to get. Here are four best practices to make your direct mail campaign stay ahead of the crowd.
Use Enhanced Data to Target the Right People
The great thing about technology is that it can be used to target a buyer’s needs and shopping habits while attempting to retarget them if they happen to leave their cart empty online. The possibilities are truly endless, but you have to stay fresh and be sure you are placing your services or product in front of the right prospects at the right time. Do this by keeping your data current and ensure you are targeting the right people. After all, it can be a complete waste of resources targeting the wrong people.
Create Coupon Codes that are Specific to the Mail Recipient
Creating coupon codes is the best way to not only attract new customers, but considerably improve sales. Using unique coupon codes will also allow you to track customers while achieving more information about your market.
Connect Direct Mail to Online with QR Codes
Combining direct mail with online marketing strategies is a great way to connect with customers at every avenue. One way to integrate a direct mail campaign with a digital one is by including QR codes on your postcards and mailings. Customers can simply scan the code or check out the link and head online to a landing page with content specific to the offer. This can be done immediately with a smartphone.
Do a Test Run or Two to See What Works
You can inexpensively test out different mail trends to see what works best for your company. Try out different designs and see which one grabs attention the most, compelling prospective customers to keep reading and take action.
The Bottom Line!
By following these four steps of direct mail, you will increase the success of your mailing campaign. No matter the size of your business, you can use direct mail to promote your business and improve your sales.
See Also: Expand Your Brand Using Business Cards
