If your business relies on direct mail as part of your overall marketing strategy, it’s important to make sure your mail gets where it’s supposed to go. The last thing you want is a bunch of mailers ending up back in your company mail room marked “undeliverable.” It’s a waste of time and money.
That’s why it’s important to make sure you’ve identified the right list in the first place—and that your list has gone through proper scrutiny (such as CASS standardization and NCOA move update) to make sure it’s up-to-date. You will also want to ensure that your mailing meets USPS postal regulations and is properly prepared. Those steps can save you a lot of money—and ensure that the mailing reaches your target audience in a timely manner.
But just because your mailing lands in someone’s mailbox doesn’t mean it’s delivered. Reaching a mailbox isn’t your goal. You want someone to open your mailing, read it, and take action. How do you achieve those things? It starts with a good strategy and includes the following four steps.
1. Have a clear idea of who your audience is and what they want.
When you’re crafting your message, think like a client—not a salesperson. What would you want to know about? What would get your attention? Can you make a promise that will get them to read more?
2. Follow through.
If you make a promise—make sure you deliver on that promise. Don’t bait and switch. Don’t change the subject. Show them how you’re going to help them achieve their goal.
3. Ask readers to take specific action.
If you want them to call, tell them to call and give them the number. If you want them to visit your website, give them a specific landing page URL that will take them to the right information (without wading through the rest of your website.
4. Make sure your design serves your purpose.
Some companies get so involved in being clever or cute with their direct mail that the real message and purpose get lost. It’s OK to be creative (in fact, it’s great!) but the aim is delivering your message and gettin a response—not to entertain.
Direct mail hasn’t really delivered until your audience has read it and responded. These four steps can take you a long way toward making that happen.
