When companies restrict their marketing to the digital world, they miss out on opportunities offered by direct mail. A comprehensive marketing strategy bridges the gap between direct mail and digital, using each to complement the other. Direct mail is virtually certain to reach the recipient, but cannot provide as much information or content as digital marketing sources. Internet resources can be unlimited in amount of content, but web traffic must be directed to them if they’re to be effective. The following are a few of the benefits of combining direct mail and digital strategies for maximum marketing success.
Creates and strengthens brand presence.
By sending promotional material through both print and digital media, a company can build a strong brand name and greatly increase brand recognition. Furthermore, using direct mail to lead clients to online resources strengthens brand presence and increases the chances that people will see the company’s advertising. As more customers visit the company’s website, web traffic will be diverted to that site. It will receive more organic visitors and spread the brand even further.
Widens customer base.
Direct mail has the ability to reach huge numbers of people, and mailing lists can be updated to send introductory promotional material to new people who have not yet responded or visited the company’s site. This allows the company to reach new customers while retaining its existing customer base. The increased web traffic to the company’s digital marketing material will not only spread the brand name; it attracts new customers not reachable by direct mail.
Enhances credibility.
Online advertising is often viewed negatively, and digital promotional material is considered “junk mail” and deleted before recipients get a chance to study the advertisement. Direct mail tends to have more credibility, possibly due in part to its more traditional method of delivery. By sending direct mail that is short and concise, including just enough detail to encourage recipients to visit the URL, companies can increase conversions and establish their credibility. The multiplicity of online sources shows consistency across the brand name and encourages customers to trust the company’s marketing materials.
Encourages customer participation.
By inspiring customers to explore digital marketing through direct mail, a company is making customer participation a necessity. The customers have to actively search for the online resources, and once they have taken the effort to go online, they are more invested in the company’s marketing than a visitor who was directed to the site by a random search. Customer participation creates more invested customers, who in turn can become effective marketing agents of the company.
Offers customer rewards.
One way to ensure customer participation is by offering rewards: a raffle, a contest, or a prize for visiting the website and exploring the company’s digital marketing. The prospect of winning will be enough incentive to boost customer participation and send direct mail recipients to the company website in droves.
Follow the above tips to increase your customer base, brand recognition, and customer participation through marketing. Further research on digital marketing and direct mail strategies illustrates how the combination of the two media is effective for marketing purposes.
