Implementing a direct mail campaign is one of the best ways to boost your sales for a particular financial period. Campaigns are shown to deliver an average 4.4% response rate, which is considerably higher than the statistics for electronic mail.
Research also shows that 65% of consumers have made a purchase as a result of receiving direct mail. Before you happily board the DM bandwagon, however, there are a few steps you need to take to ensure your company is ready.
Solidify Your Web Presence
The days of sending direct mail and hoping for a return via telephone orders or sales to walk-in customers are gone. Now, the way to make a campaign work for your business is to point mail recipients to your website or social media marketing. They can:
- Head to your website to complete a contact form for more information
- Subscribe to regular communications
- Place an order online for your product
- Request a visit from a sales representative and/or an estimate
To be able to do these things you must have the platform in place for them, so it’s essential to have a solid web presence comprising an updated, interactive website, strong social media profiles, and if applicable an ecommerce option such as an online store or order placement facilities.
Create an Integrated Strategy
Direct mail alone isn’t going to achieve impressive sales results. The trend in 2014 is to incorporate it as a component of an integrated strategy, making use of multiple channels. For example, your direct mail can link to a special promotion on TV or radio where customers can listen for clues that have to be input on a form found on your social media pages.
Follow up your mailing with an email campaign, banner ads and social networking tie-ins. Each of these platforms creates a “touch point” where the customer can come into contact with your brand personality, and your messages can be reinforced. The higher the number of platforms you integrate, the higher the number of positive responses you’re likely to get.
Identify Your Emotional Connection
Buyers need to have an emotional connection to your offering, so before you start designing an attractive mailing or getting bogged down in how many inserts to include, you’ll need to identify what your “hook” is going to be. Otherwise you’re simply wasting your money on what can be an expensive marketing tactic.
Make sure your direct mail campaign delivers the results you want by focusing on giving the recipient a reason to open the envelope, providing information of value that he can use and presenting the benefits of your solution based on a “what’s in it for me” philosophy.
Set Up Your Tracking
Before you send out the campaign, it’s necessary to set up tracking mechanisms and analytics to determine whether it’s performing or not. Create campaign-specific landing pages on your site that have tracking options enabled. These pages should pick up where the direct mail campaign left off, and give the consumer a way to get additional information and / or place an order when he’s ready. Use unique identifiiers on the mail pieces that the buyer can quote when he orders or comes into your store.
If you don’t do these things ahead of time, you’ll be implementing a campaign without being able to evaluate your ROI.
