Direct mail marketing still works wonders for businesses. Here are five great reasons why you should still be using direct mail in your marketing strategy.
A recent study found direct mail was the most trusted form of marketing among most B2B and B2C consumers. With the rapid increase of digital marketing tools, the direct mail postcard stands out among the hundreds of emails, banner ads, and social media posts we see every day. And with the right digital tweaks, your direct mail marketing can provide you with the analytics you need to determine its ROI.
In this article, we will look at how direct mail marketing is essential to a multi-channel communications plan. We will also give you five great reasons you should be using it as part of your marketing strategy.
Direct Mail Can Be Personalized
With variable data digital printing technologies, you can add a customer’s name, interests, local sales rep, and more to a direct mail postcard when it is printed. 78% of executives and marketers find personalized direct mail more effective than sending mail to “occupant” or “current resident.”
Take personalization to the next level with a personalized URL, or PURL. A PURL is an address for a web or landing page specific to the addressee. You can use this landing page to request more information, suggest special offers, etc.
Direct Mail Can Be Analyzed
Using elements like PURLs and general URLs specific to your direct mail, you can track your campaign’s effectiveness. Add these URLs to your Google Analytics account to determine how many people responded to your mailing. A sophisticated analytics and automation program can also determine direct sales as a result of direct mail marketing.
Direct Mail Can Be Targeted
The allure of digital marketing is the granularity of specific audiences. However, direct mail has been able to do this for decades. Companies research business and consumer customers to create highly effective and validated mailing lists. These lists can be compiled based on areas of the country, types and subtypes of customers, proximity to your place of business, and many more factors.
Direct Mail Can Be A/B Tested
Direct mail, and especially direct mail postcards, are particularly useful for A/B testing a message or creative elements. Suppose you are trying to determine which postcard artwork generates more visits to your website. Print and mail two versions of the postcard to a small subset of your mailing list and track the number of visits to the PURLs or landing page listed on the postcard.
Determine which version was more effective at generating interest or leads using your website tracking tools or Google Analytics. Print and mail the more effective version of your postcard to the rest of your list.
Direct Mail Can Stimulate Digital Marketing
Email laws restrict how and how often you can send emails to potential customers. Direct mail can be a great tool to build your email subscriber base. Use your direct mail to invite people to sign up or “opt-in” for emails from your company.
You can also use your direct mail to complete a customer record and gain important business and marketing intelligence. Use a web landing page with a survey or form to ask the customer for more details about their interests or buying habits. This data can help you communicate with them more effectively in the future.
Direct Mail Works
The success of any marketing strategy relies on a mix of tactics to achieve your strategy. By incorporating direct mail and direct mail postcards into your marketing toolbox, you can establish trust with your customer and tell a clear, concise, and compelling message. We want to help you use direct mail to your story.
Contact us to learn more about our marketing services, including design and print, data and mail list services, direct mail, and more.
