When was the last time you received something regarding service, product, or brand in your mailbox? Chances are, you’ve already seen direct mail marketing. For business owners, this is a top way to promote their company.
Studies show that while only 20 to 30 percent of emails are opened, up to 90 percent of all physical mail is opened.
For business owners and consumers alike, understanding direct mail marketing is important. For business owners, it’s crucial to engaging with potential customers and growing a brand. For consumers, understanding this form of promotion is key to making the best spending decisions.
This article has all the basic information you should know about direct mail marketing.
1. What Is Direct Mail Marketing?
You may be wondering, “What is direct mail marketing, anyways?” It’s more simple than you may think.
Direct mail marketing refers to any physical correspondence sent from a brand to a consumer. Many brands also use this form of marketing to spread the word about special events and sales. Coupons, flyers, and catalogs received in the mail are some top examples of this.
By including incentives and contact information, direct mail marketing drives customers to engage.
2. This or That: Direct Mail & Email Marketing
If you have an email account, you’ve likely received one or more messages from a brand offering sale codes and new products. While direct mail marketing often does the same thing, it’s often more effective than email.
According to the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail averages a response rate of 4.4 per cent. This is a significant improvement over the email response rate of 0.12 per cent. Why is this?
Direct mail marketing provides an opportunity for customers to engage with physical content. This is rare in an increasingly digital world. With physical content, brands are able to create a memorable promotion with less competition.
And while not everyone has an email address, reaching those with a mailbox is much easier. If your target audience is not on social media, direct mail is a much more effective way of reaching them.
3. Direct Mail Tactics That Really Work
Understanding the many dos and don’ts of direct mail marketing is crucial for brands. By following some of these tactics, brands can create more long-lasting, sustainable growth.
Direct mail marketing must be designed with the target audience in mind. It’s important to ask questions like:
- Who is my ideal customer for this promotion?
- What am I trying to get this customer to do?
- How can my products, services, and brand as a whole benefit them?
By identifying these answers, you can design a better promotion that drives more results.
It’s also important to strategically time your promotion. Decide the time frame of your campaign. How many weeks or months will it take to experience results?
Depending on your answer, the time when you send your direct mail will change. If you’re having an in-person event or sale, decide when you should send out your first and last correspondence.
Improve Brand and Customer Relationships With Direct Mail
The importance of marketing to the success of a brand is immense. With direct mail marketing, brands can drive engagement with existing and potential customers. By using this tactic, you can both enhance these relationships and increase company sales.
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