If you have been struggling to get the results you had hoped for from your direct mail campaign, don’t worry, as we have got some useful tips to help you out. We know that it can be frustrating when your marketing efforts do not go to plan. However, there are always different tweaks and improvements that you can make. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at some of the best approaches you can use to boost your direct marketing response return on investment.
Connect your direct mail with online response
Drive your audience to your website and social media to take action. Integrating all of your marketing efforts is the best way to get the results you hope for. You can increase mail response and ROI if you simplify the ease of response.
Use A/B testing
A/B testing enables you to find the best offer, copy, and message so that you can improve your direct mail conversion. This basically means that you are going to be comparing two or more different versions of the same piece of mail so that you can figure out which one works better.
Tell the reader what they want to know
One of the biggest mistakes that businesses make when it comes to direct mail marketing is flirting around the concept, rather than making sure that their material is clear. Get to the point and tell your readers what they want to know. Make sure that your marketing material is clear about your services and products and the benefits that they are going to bring to the reader. Don’t use complicated jargon. Instead, keep it simple. Don’t try to blind your audience with science either; they don’t have time for that!
Send targeted communication
The importance of personalised communication cannot be overlooked. People want to feel special. They don’t want to receive something generic that has been sent to everyone. You can use different images and texts to personalise your message, as well as ensuring your direct mail is sent to people that are going to be most likely to respond to it. For instance, if you have a number of clients who have not purchased for a set period of time yet are getting close to their membership renewal date, you can choose to communicate with them only, as opposed to your entire client database. To upsell, use a specific offer alongside the renewal letter.
In order to optimise your audience targeting it’s best to make use of data sources you have. What can you learn from your customer data, whether that be purchase data or demographic data? These insights can help you refine your campaign for optimal results.
Choose a strong headline
The headline is one of the most important parts of your direct mail campaign. Aside from the packaging or envelope and any novelty contents, your headline is imperative in terms of grabbing attention. Spend some time really thinking about what is going to compel your audience and prompt them to keep reading.
Make sure you have something to offer
You will certainly improve your direct mail response rate if you make sure you have something exciting to offer your audience. You need to respect the value of your audience’s time. If they are willing to read your material and give you a chance, you need to ensure that you make it worth it. You don’t want them to regret that decision. The reader should have some kind of reward for opting to look at the mail that you have delivered, whether this is a service that can genuinely meet their needs and wants, advice, and exciting offer, or even a new insight. Make them a sort of offer that they will not be able to refuse!
Follow up
The final tip is to follow up on your direct marketing campaign. Doing this can really enhance the value of your investment. There are a number of different approaches you can use here, for instance, you can contact them again via post, making reference to your first mail, or you can follow up with a phone call if you would prefer. The choice is yours.
So there you have it: an insight into some of the different approaches that you can use to boost your direct mail marketing response rate. If you try out the tactics that have been mentioned above, you should notice some improvements to your campaign. Remember, though, nothing happens overnight. It requires patience and persistence, so don’t give up!
Want to learn more about direct mail? Read our complete guide to direct mail here.