Direct mail marketing is quickly making a comeback, and it’s easy to see why. While other forms of marketing such as the Internet and phone sales are good ways to solicit for prospects, direct mail offers some unique benefits. The type of customers you gain and the money you save in the long run is worth giving direct mail marketing a try.
1. It Offers Highly Specific Targeted Marketing
Direct mail allows you to better match your target market’s needs. You can best accomplish this by tailoring mailings to appeal to a specific group of prospects. For many prospects, this is more appealing as compared to the more general approach that often is used in other marketing strategies. When you use direct mail, you save time and money by filtering out unnecessary content and putting in content that works to motivate prospects to “calls to action.”
2. Demographics Lists Are Already Available
In most cases, direct mail houses have already completed the research for you. You can purchase a demographic list showing the prospects with the income brackets and geographical areas that you’re looking for. The fees for these lists vary, but with some comparison pricing, you’re sure to find the right list that fits your marketing budget.
3. Allows Marketing Material Variety and Appeal
With direct mail marketing, you can elect to send different types of mailings to diverse targets in order to get the results you want. For example, you may want to send out postcards to all of your current customers, as well as to prospects, to promote a sale or store grand opening. Existing customers may appreciate an annual catalog of all your products. A monthly newsletter is another way of communicating with your target market through direct mail marketing.
4. Designs Can Be Simple to Complex: Your Choice
You decide if you want an effortless design on your pieces or a more intricate one based on your goals and your target market’s expectations. Many direct mail marketing agencies have a variety of designs that will fit your budget. If you design a mailing piece in-house, you may benefit from a direct mail marketing agent’s expert advice on how to best utilize it to maximize your conversion sales rates.
5. Physical, Tangible Mail Often Conveys Legitimacy
When your target audience can touch the mailer, they know that a person took the time to send it – not just a computer. Typically, a phone number or return address is located on the direct mail piece. This allows them to easily get in touch with you, the advertiser. Therefore, unlike an e-mail from a hard-to-locate sender, physical mail adds a sense of legitimacy.
6. It’s Easier to Measure Analytics
Compared to other forms of marketing such as Internet marketing, direct mail is much easier in terms of measuring campaign results. You can count the number of sales made and total sales dollars earned from those inquiries without needing to understand complex analytical software.
7. Offers Cost-Effective Campaign Management
Direct mail campaigns offer the financial flexibility of starting with a small investment. This allows you to stay within your stated marketing budget. Mail a few pieces in a trial campaign, and then track the results before committing to a full-fledged campaign. Direct mail provides an easy way to advertise without investing more than you need to.
Businesses are choosing direct mail marketing because of the easy campaign cost flexibility, analytics management, and so much more. When you add direct mail to your mix of marketing strategies, you gain a well-rounded marketing mix that puts you in a better position to soar over your competition.
