If your business relies on business customers rather than the general public, then you probably already know that there’s a big difference between marketing designed for consumers and marketing designed for fellow business owners. That is no different when you’re using direct mail to reach your B2B customers, and we’ve put together a few tips that will help you to create and execute a B2B direct mail campaign that delivers the ROI that you want.
Identify Your Targets
The first step in a successful B2B direct mail campaign is to identify who you want to reach. Both geographically and by market demographic. You need to know where you want your direct mail marketing materials to reach, and you want to know who they need to reach.
Know Your Message
Consumers may be swayed by smoke and mirrors. B2B relationships are forged through facts and figures. When you design a B2B campaign, you need to be 100% certain that your message is targeting your customers’ pain points. There are several ways to do this:
- Offer proof of how your product or service can cut costs.
- Offer proof of how your product or service and increase productivity.
- Promise better service. If your competitors have 48-hour turnaround, offer to do the same in 24 hours.
Figure out what your customers want and need in products and services, and create your message around that.
Design and Copywriting Matter
Once you know who you are marketing to, and what you want to tell them, the next step is to design your printed marketing materials. These should reflect your brand, and your message, and be tailored to the type of customer you are targeting. This is an important step in the process, and you should spend enough time and money to create a high quality, impactful flyer. Here are a few dos and don’ts in creating a great printed piece:
- Don’t skimp on graphic design. Make sure your images are crisp, clear and well balanced. 3
- Do ensure that your copy is well written, and that you spell check and proof read carefully.
- Don’t use too many words. Short and punchy will have more impact than longwinded rambling.
- Do use interactive elements, like a QR code for a contest or special offer.
- Don’t forget to include many different methods of contacting you.
Deliver and Track Results
The final step in your B2B direct mail campaign is to deliver your direct mail piece, and track results. This is one reason why including an exclusive offer is a great idea. It will help you to determine how many companies and individuals respond to your marketing materials. If you opt for a QR code, you can use Google’s analytics tools to track interactions, but even something as simple as offering a discount to customers who mention your flyer, or including a coupon for walk in customers can help.
Tracking the results from you direct mail campaigns helps to ensure that next time you roll out a direct mail campaign, you can replicate things that worked, and change things that did not.
