In this digital age, it’s easy to get drawn into all the flashy online advertising methods available. With screens everywhere we look, there’s potential for promotion on every platform. However, despite the vast array of internet banners and mobile advertisements, a timeless tactic remains highly effective for connecting with customers: direct mail marketing.
Direct Mail Marketing
Direct mail marketing is a form of advertising where promotional materials like flyers, brochures, letters, or postcards are sent directly to potential customers via postal mail. Companies typically aim their mailings at particular customer demographics or geographic areas. Some marketers opt for shared mail rather than standalone mailpieces to efficiently reach their target market.
Shared mail involves multiple businesses, each getting dedicated advertising space in a single mail-out. In contrast, standalone direct mail consists of a separate mailpiece solely focused on an individual business’s brand and messaging. For example, a postcard promoting different companies or services, like a restaurant’s dinner special, dry cleaning services, and a gym’s new membership deal, etc., would be shared mail. In contrast, a brochure solely about a specific restaurant would be stand-alone mail.
When utilizing direct mail, companies have options for the kinds of mailing lists they employ to reach their desired customer base. Saturation lists comprise complete postal zones or delivery routes, providing an affordable but broad approach. Little research or labor is required since every address is included.
Alternatively, targeted lists allow for a more refined focus through customized demographics. Targeted lists can be obtained externally through list brokers or internally through data gathering and market analysis.
Forms of Direct Mail
Here are some useful types of direct mail content:
- Newsletters: Share various information about your business in one document.
- Catalogs: Catalogs are great for showcasing many products with images and descriptions.
- Coupons: Coupons drive traffic with incentives.
- Useful items: Include your logo on items like calendars or sticky notes for ongoing brand exposure. Consider gift mugs or shirts that customers will display as advertisements.
- Reminders: Seasonal or cyclical businesses may send relevant reminders, like alerting them of the upcoming tax season
- Samples: Let customers try products to increase sales and awareness.
- Announcements: Promote new locations, products, or business changes.
Benefits for Your Business
Let’s discuss the various benefits of direct mail marketing.
- Reduced Costs
The expenses associated with direct mail can differ depending on what a business opts to send out. However, direct mail becomes more affordable when you mail out items in large volumes or bulk rather than individually. This leads to savings that increase the potential value or return that a business gets from direct mail marketing. To make the most of direct mail, partner with a full-service provider like The Printed Image that can handle every step of the process for you.
- Increased Engagement
With people receiving huge numbers of digital messages daily via email, it has become extremely easy for your digital marketing efforts to get lost in recipients’ inboxes. On the other hand, not as many physical items are delivered to someone’s mailbox, so each postal piece stands out.
Since physical mail is less common, consumers view direct mail as more credible than digital messages. It can increase the chances that recipients will engage with and read the contents of the direct mail pieces.
- Greater Creativity
Direct mail offers more creative flexibility. With physical mail, there is freedom to experiment with formats like unusual shapes, larger or smaller sizes, and different paper colors that can catch the recipient’s eye when they sift through what’s in their mailbox. In addition, direct mail makes it possible to supplement promotional messages with extra items like product samples. This boosts interactivity for the consumer.
Endnote
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, direct mail retains its power as a strategic promotional tool. By sending catalogs, brochures, or letters straight to your target audience’s mailbox, you can cut through the online noise in a personal, tangible way.
