Like any good entrepreneur, I am always thinking of ways that I can develop and grow our businesses and brands. One of the best marketing strategies does not occur in the digital world. Each week one of my companies sends more than 1,000 direct mails. We have an excellent response rate, even with a younger demographic target audience.
Think about it; people are inundated with emails, social media posts, and instant messaging. In the digital world, getting great direct response material in the mail is a first. However, there are some differences in what we do in our direct mail than what was done in the old school days.
- We experimented with all kinds of colored pieces.
- We rarely send a letter.
- The pieces are always vibrant with images and very little copy.
There are a couple of reasons why your company should consider responding directly to the prospect and growing your business.
- Response rate: Last year, Compu-mail noted: “The home response rate for direct mail is 5.1% (compared to 6% for email, 0.6% for paid search, 0.2% for viewing online, 0.4% from social media) with the Response Rate Report in 2003.
- Personalization: When your prospects receive mail (not including invoices), particularly those who are Gen X or older, there is a familiar feeling. Older generations still like to receive something in the mail with their names on it. They can play the piece and there is something new about it in today’s world.
- Generational myth: Believe it or not, a sizeable portion of Millennials also like the direct response because it is something they too can touch and hold. According to a Forbes article, 36 percent of people under 30 like to check their mailboxes, and 95 percent of those between 18 and 29 have a favorable opinion of mail, such as personalized cards. .
- QR and PURL codes: Companies have been experimenting with QRs and PURLs (personal URLs), which redirect a person receiving an email into the digital age. Since most of the people now have a smartphone, the target audience can scan these codes to get more information.
- Messenger service: If you’re running a particular project or sale, consider using direct mail to reinforce urgency. My team and I had high response rates for direct mail submissions that had a deadline to partner with our companies. One of the key reasons we’ve seen this work is because with all the emails people receive, they often dismiss this form of communication quickly just to go through their email box.
- Multichannel Marketing: The direct response is a great way to support your digital marketing efforts. We know that people have to see your brand and logo multiple times for it to start “sticking” in their minds. Direct mail helps reinforce your brand’s digital efforts. Prospects not only see it in the digital world, but in the “real world” as well.
- Tests: Direct mail gives your business the opportunity to try another method of reaching your prospects. We’ve tested direct response with high-level prospects in our target audience, and the new accounts we landed paid for the postage.
- Simple analysis: Direct mail results are easy to understand. No one on your team needs to log into a digital platform to generate a report for you. The direct answer provides you with an easy way to see how much you spent compared to the number of new business you achieved.
- Credibility: Direct mail, because it is familiar and tactile, gives recipients an automatic sense of your credibility. We live in a world of “fake news” and discussions on social media about authentic and real content in the digital space. The direct answer cuts through the noise and instantly lends credibility due to the investment and its familiarity.
- Creativity: The Direct Answer is a great way to experiment with the color, size, shape, and different packaging of your parts. Sophisticated marketers are experimenting with many different types of mailings to differentiate themselves from a regular, traditional-sized letter and envelope, encouraging people to look at the piece.
The Data and Marketing Association (DMA) has reported that direct mail has declined. However, in a digital world where people are inundated with massive amounts of content, direct mail stands out as a creative way to cut through the noise. At the very least, direct mail is a great complement to your digital endeavors, and is a great way to land new business at best.