Direct mail may be one of the oldest and more traditional marketing techniques but today it still remains one of the most effective means of getting results. The CMO Council recently found that direct mail has a 56% open rate, whereas email has an open rate of just 22%.
Asides from direct mail’s superior open rates, what do you think is more memorable? A tangible piece of mail you read in your hands, or one of the hundreds of emails nested in your inbox?
Not only does direct mail enable you to get great response rates from your target market, but it also allows you to measure the results of each campaign you run. This means you can work out exactly how successful your mailing campaign has been. The Royal Mail recently reported that the average ROI of a mailing is £3.22 of consumer spend per £1 spent.
With 35 years experience as a mailing house, here are our 6 top tips for making a success of your direct mail in 2019. By combining these tips you can transform your return on investment.
1. Define Your Target Market & Mailing List
Before any direct mail campaign you run, it is essential that you start with building a tailored audience. Firstly, it is important to identify those who you think will be most receptive to your offer and your call to action (CTA). To help identify these customers, outlining your campaign objectives and prospects will help you to decide your target audience.
For example, if you’re running a ‘special upgrade offer’ direct mail campaign you may want to target your most loyal customers with a flyer showing them that you appreciate their business by giving them a strong offer. After all, everybody loves a good deal! Alternatively, you might be wanting to target new customers through your outbound campaign with a special discount code when they register an account with your business.
2. Process Your Data To Minimise Wasted Mail
Integral to building an effective mailing list is data management. A mailing house can help audit and cleanse your data records, ensuring there’s no mail sent to the wrong addresses, and that your demographic targeting is focused.
It is generally known that refined and highly targeted mailing lists generate a higher return on investment. That is, you’ll see more revenue per mail piece. It is much better to make a stronger impression to fewer people than it is to make a weak impression to a larger audience.
It is also important not to forget that once you’ve nailed your target list, you must make your offer enticing and suited to your target market. Make sure to review your mailing piece thoroughly in order to make sure the recipients know exactly what action you’re asking them to take.
3. Personalise Your Direct Mail
In an age of relentless and bombarding advertising, the value of personalised content is at an all-time high.
Studies show that when a piece of mail is addressed by name to a customer, they are more likely to start reading the mail’s content. To go a step further, if the actual content of the mail is personalised, it’s much more likely that the reader will engage with the mail’s call to action (CTA) meaning that your response rate has not only been uplifted but that the customers are also engaged in your content.
In the short term, intelligent personalisation of your mailing can improve response rates. If personalising your direct mail campaign can improve response rates, personalisation can improve your ROI. Mailing house printing machinery can facilitate modern techniques like variable data printing, helping you perfect your direct mail personalisation.
4. Get Creative!
As with most forms of marketing, getting creative with your mailshot has unending benefits.
Just look at Volkswagen who mailed a VW logo that turned into a snowflake, to promote their brand over the Christmas period.
There’s no better way to get your customers talking about your brand, and even sharing it on social media. Plus, it’s likely to prompt improved response rates if your creative direct mail resonates with your target market.
5. Code Your Responses
Coding your responses will make your campaign analysis much simpler. In short, a code indicates from which mailing a lead or sale is generated. It is a good idea to assign each send out campaign with a batch number so you can identify the particular list you were outreaching and in turn the number of responses you’ve received.
Some companies might choose to send multiple direct mailings each year, and some on a weekly basis, therefore it is incredibly important to create unique codes per mailer so you can track every response rate, know exactly where they came from and in turn measure the effectiveness. Unique codes can vary from numbering your order form with a specific date e.g. (120319), using a unique URL code for the recipient to use, or using a QR code. Any method of coding is beneficial as long as they are directly trackable.
It is without doubt that using unique codes can bring long-term benefits. Using the codes against variables such as your call to actions like ‘use this discount code for up to 10% off’ or ‘sign up today’ will allow you to drive future campaigns as you will know what works well for you and what doesn’t.
6. Measure Your Campaign’s Results
Just like any other digital campaign, your direct mail needs to be tested, tracked and analysed in order for you to learn from any mistakes and be guided from your successes. Luckily, direct mail has one of the most measurable tactics because of its ability to code response rates.
Did your sales increase? Did you drive new leads to your sales team? Did you see an increase in site registrations?
For any business to learn, it is always best practice to measure your results after a campaign so you can analyse how close you were to your original projections and campaign objectives and whether you were able to achieve a positive return on investment. The data you’re able to gather should provide you with a lot of useful information so you can continuously improve your direct mail campaigns for the future.
Measuring your direct mail campaign against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like return on investment, conversion rate, and cost of acquisition, is vital in fully understanding the impact and overall value of your campaign.
Now To Start Planning Your Direct Mail Campaign
It is without doubt that direct mail is a great marketing tool for any modern business. As a more traditional marketing channel, mail is seeing a great resurgence as online advertising becomes saturated and overpriced.
Testing what works and what doesn’t in your direct mail campaigns will allow your direct marketing to evolve over time and keep you on top of ever-changing consumer behaviour.
Snapmail have over 35 years’ experience navigating all kinds of businesses through successful direct mail campaigns. To receive a free quotation please use our contact form or call us on 020 8492 5858 and one of our mailing specialists will be in touch soon.