Direct Mail Marketing: Tips to Boost Your Response Rates
Direct mail marketing is an integral part of a well-balanced marketing mix. However, just like any other marketing strategy, it won’t succeed without the right combination of elements. Follow these tips for your next direct mail marketing campaign and watch your response rates soar.
1. Don’t Lose Sight of the Big Picture. Many marketers tend to focus exclusively on the creative for their direct mail piece. Now don’t get us wrong: creative is important. It’s just not the whole story. Don’t forget to focus some of your energy on obtaining a quality mailing list and developing an enticing offer as well; these are just as important to your direct mail marketing success.
2. Target the Right Prospects. Your direct mail marketing campaign won’t get very far if it never reaches the people who might actually be interested in your product or service. Targeted marketing is key in improving response rates, and it will also help keep expenses for your direct mail marketing campaign down. Read this article to learn more.
3. Make Your Direct Mail Piece Stand Out. People receive lots of junk mail every day; don’t let your direct mail piece get lost in the pile. Your direct mail piece should be eye-catching with an appealing headline to draw people in. You might also want to consider sending out larger direct mail pieces as well – this can help it stand out even more.
4. Communicate Benefits, Not Features. Your target audience doesn’t care about your company. They care about what your company can do for them. In your direct mail marketing campaign, don’t just list off features; tell people how those features will benefit them. Ultimately, your direct mail marketing is not about you; it’s about your consumer and their needs.
5. Use Your Consumers’ Language. If your direct mail piece is full of industry-specific jargon, you run the risk of alienating a large portion of your prospects. Find out what language your consumers are using to describe your services, and then join the conversation on their terms.
6. Send Multiple Direct Mail Pieces. Prospects need to see your message several times before they are likely to do business with you. Don’t send one direct mail piece to a prospect and then forget about them; send follow-up pieces regularly. This will this show your consistency and keep your company’s name in the forefront of their mind the next time they need what you offer.
7. Use Other Marketing Strategies As Well. Not everyone responds to specific marketing strategies in the same way. One person may be extremely receptive to direct mail marketing, while another may throw direct mail in the trash without ever looking at it. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket; use direct mail marketing in combination with other marketing techniques to ensure that prospects can engage with your company in whichever way they feel most comfortable.
Direct mail marketing can be extremely rewarding if you approach it in the right way. Improving direct mail response rates takes some work, but that extra effort will pay off down the road. We hope that you will keep these guidelines in mind for your next direct mail marketing campaign; we have a vested interest in seeing your marketing campaigns succeed.