How to create a fantastic direct mail campaign
When your business is sending direct mail, it's making an investment. You want your campaign to be a success, so what can you do to increase your chances of a strong return? The last thing you need is for your mailers to be ignored by those who could benefit from your products, services or coupons. Here's how to ensure your letters, postcards or other mail pieces are a hit with recipients and bring in additional revenue for your business.
Know who you're targeting. It's a good idea to narrow down the audience you want to reach for each campaign you embark on. A mailer that is supposed to resonate with longtime customers and also attract new business probably won't serve either purpose well - it's better to streamline your attempts to reach people and stick to one audience.
Determine a clear message and sales pitch. It can be tempting to fill a direct mail piece with all the details about your product or service, the numerous advantages of working with your company and plenty of coupons or discounts. However, this will only overwhelm recipients with information, making it hard for them to find the major message in your marketing. Additionally, you run the risk of cramming too much into one piece of mail, which can diminish its look - and you want your campaigns to be as attractive as possible. A streamlined postcard will be much more eye-catching than one that has been overloaded with information and is now difficult to read.
Use address correction software. What's the point of a direct mail campaign if some of your mailers never reach the intended recipients? When you fail to complete address validation, you run the risk of sending mail to the wrong people or having it returned by the Postal Service. By taking this extra step, you'll ensure your investment in direct mail won't be a waste.
Recognize what's important to your audience. Every mailer should have a purpose - is your brand trying to raise awareness, stir up new business or encourage past buyers to make a new purchase? Whatever you're trying to accomplish, do so in a way that shows recipients you understand their needs and can help them. If you come off as failing to grasp your audience's needs, you won't get the huge response you anticipated.