What is one way brands can make direct mail marketing more appealing to potential (and current) customers?
1. Make Mailers Useful
“Consumers use scrap paper every day for grocery and to-do lists, phone books and notepads. So, why should your promo, assuming it’s not immediately trashed, languish uselessly in a drawer somewhere? Last year, we sent something people tend to keep — a New Year’s resolution sheet (with business info, of course). Brands should think of an additional use for their mailers; consumers sure could.”
2. Open With a Proposition
“Consumers have short attention spans. Instead of building excitement toward your value proposition, just open with it. This will attract the recipient’s attention and force you, the sender, to see if your value proposition is worth sending to potential customers.”
3. Make It Lumpy
“The first goal of a direct mail campaign is to get your envelope opened. We’ve sent thousands of direct mail pieces to prospects, and we find mailers with a lumpy object inside of the envelope have a near 100 percent open rate. People are curious what’s inside, and the curiosity gets them to open it. Now your job is to make it personal, relevant and captivating to get your piece read.”
– CHARLES GAUDET, Predictable Profits
4. Include Product Samples
“Paper direct mail can be a nuisance to most customers, but if you include a product sample, the direct mail instantly becomes more valuable as a trial tool. There are several companies that specialize in creating product samples, such as Arcade Marketing for the fragrance and makeup industries, and they often have interactive programs that aim to increase the ROI for your brand.”
5. Make Mailers Creative
“Direct mail can be very, very powerful. The key is what you send out. Earlier this year, someone mailed me a message in a bottle. The message was about the company changes this business planned to instill in the new year, and the idea was so well put out that I called them immediately. Here’s the key: Send a more creative message to less people. It’s about quality, not quantity.”
6. Include Something Useful
“People often only think of promotional products as items to give away during a tradeshow or to clients. But what about using them in direct mail campaigns? Along with your sales/marketing message, include something like a pen. Those who are on the receiving end are at least 50 times more likely to keep the pen, and in doing so, you’ll remain in their house in the future, used or not.”
7. Use MailLift
“MailLift is basically an API for direct mail marketing. It allows you to integrate your CRM or customer service software directly into its messaging system. You can write out a message, and it will be transcribed as a handwritten letter and sent to your customer. It’s completely revolutionary because you can do mass mail customization efficiently for the first time.”
8. Provide Value
“Most direct mail pieces deserve the moniker of “junk mail.” To make sure yours stands out from the crowd, you must deliver some kind of real value that transcends your brand message. There are so many creative things you can do that are cheap: Deliver curated content, use creative techniques (such as punch-outs or folds) to make something that consumers can use or write witty copy. Be boldly creative!”
9. Partner Up
“Partner up with a complementary company to increase the value of the piece. By doing this you can create a more creative, useful piece. Tap into their customer base as well and use the piece both ways.”
– BROOKE BERGMAN, Allied Business Network Inc.
10. Personalize Content
“Printing has come a long way in the last few years. You can now have one-off pieces printed and shipped to customers at a reasonable price. Many printing companies offer the ability to dynamically assemble content using personalized information and templates that you provide to them. This can allow you to make the material your customers read feel far more relevant to their needs.”
11. Use a Stamp
“Consumers can tell when something has been mass-mailed. If you make the envelope look like it came from a person rather than a machine, then the piece will more likely get opened. Try using stamps instead of metered mail, and use a font that looks like handwriting instead of typed text.”
– SARAH SCHUPP, UniversityParent
Originally published by StartupCollective.
Photo Credits
G M | StartupCollective
