Results from direct mail shouldn’t be something you have to pray for. Planned carefully and strategically, direct mail can work better than most media – especially when combined with multi-media, multi-touch programs such as email and text messaging.
Here are ten reasons to use direct mail:
- Use direct mail in tandem with email or text messaging for a strong lead nurturing campaign. The more frequency, the better. Some prospects respond better to high-touch outreach efforts and lead nurturing is all about connecting with the right prospect at the right time and in the right way. (source: Marketing Sherpa, January 2009)
- Send a series of personalized direct mail, beyond name and address. Tailor your messaging to the prospect’s needs and wants to increase responses.
- Generate more responses and revenue. Colorful, personalized direct mail generates 34% increase in response rate; 25% increase in average order size; 48% increase in retention; 32% increase in revenue; 35% in speed of response time (source: RedLeaf Digital).
- Create dialogue. Send a sequence of personalized messages based on previous interactions with the prospect that encourage them to respond.
- Drive responses. Send prospects to a webform to capture their information or drive them to a website to download one of your valuable and relevant offers.
- Email lists may not be as accurate as direct mail lists. Studies show that 60% of users employ two or more personal email addresses, giving a different address to entities they do not trust while maintaining separate accounts for trustworthy sources (source: Habeas 2008).
- Emails may not get through preview filters and your message will never be seen. You may never know if your email goes into the recipient's junk mail folder.
- The throw-away factor. Many people delete their emails without a second thought. Direct mail is different: how many times have you saved a postcard to redeem it for an offer?
- Direct mail gets attention. Color, size and message can all work to your advantage. Colorfully-designed emails may not get through preview filters.
- Direct mail is cost-effective. Use bulk discounts to your advantage.
1 comments:
I can't tell you how many times I have said this - in articles I have written, comments I have made on social sites like linkedin on this topic.
Direct mail is FAR from dead. People - many of them pure-play internet marketers who are trying to promote their wares as the newer, better mousetrap - have been trying, along with environmentalists to destroy the direct mail industry.
The paper industry plants trees at between 2 and 4 to one for every tree they use.
I can tell you from first hand experience that direct mail is the most powerful form of target marketing there is. Caveat: if done correctly and the rules are followed.
The main reason that direct mail doesn't work is that people don't understand how to make the medium work. They use garbage or poorly targeted lists, creative that is either too pretty (keep those brand people away), or lacks the proper call to action.
I wrote a primer on the rules of direct mail for Catalog Success magazine a while back. Here is a link to it on my blog: http://bit.ly/16cez2
Regards,
Jim Gilbert
jimdirect@aol.com
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