Direct Mail Tips for Growing Businesses

Direct Mail Tips for Growing Businesses
by
Megan Richards

Meet clients wherever they are; offline meets online for a complete customer experience. The result? Better ROI for your marketing budget.

Marketing has changed a LOT over the years to be more focused on an omni-channel experience. And while direct mail’s response rate has dropped slightly over time, it can still be a valuable tool to market your business and a great way to acquire new customers.  Leveraging both offline and online tactics can give your marketing a boost, Charisma explains how!  

What is Direct Mail Marketing?

Sending physical correspondence, such as letters, packages, mailers, brochures, and postcards, to potential or existing clients is known as direct mail. Although it can be utilized in B2B and B2C sales, it is mostly geared toward consumers.  

Pros and Cons of Direct Mail Marketing

  • Direct mail has better response rates than email.  
  • Consumers enjoy receiving mail.
  • Email has a better ROI.
  • Direct mail can be expensive.  

Current research suggests that Americans prefer to receive direct mail over email. Since consumers are bombarded with emails every day, businesses must work incredibly hard to cut through the noise and convert.   It must be noted that email still offers better ROI than direct mail because it is far cheaper than sending physical mail.

On average, the ROI of email is $28.50 compared to just $7 for direct mail for your marketing budget.

Offline Meets Online

When used the right way, you can effectively use both online and offline marketing channels to promote your business.   Here are a few reasons to incorporate direct mail into your marketing strategy:

It’s Memorable

Receiving letters in the mail evokes nostalgia in consumers. If you want to spark an emotional response in a recipient, add a personalized touch like a handwritten note or signatures. Small gestures such as these can make your marketing more memorable.    

It Can Have a Larger Reach

Direct mail can reach a wider demographic than electronic advertising if your target audience does not use social media or email.  


You Can Get Creative

Pairing social media and content marketing with direct mail can create a seamless customer journey. When sending out direct mail, you can add a QR code to scan that takes a potential customer to your Instagram, website, or another channel.

This can help you increase people’s awareness of your brand.   Further, there are numerous ways that you can get creative with direct mail due to its tactile nature. You can engage with more of your recipients’ senses than with digital marketing.    

There Isn’t as Much Competition

Today, many companies in growth-mode are scaling back their physical marketing efforts in favor of digital marketing and email. Since not as many companies send direct mail anymore, it is easier to get noticed.  

Most people at least skim through their mail before tossing it, and a colorful creative piece of mail has a greater chance of standing out in someone’s mailbox than your website does on Google—at least at first!  Even if someone doesn’t use your special offer or coupon right away, they might stick it to their fridge or stash in their junk/coupon drawer to use it later.  

How to Start a Direct Mail Campaign

Here are some guidelines to help you save time, money, and energy on your direct mail campaigns—and leverage your online presence as well!    

Define Your Audience

Focus your efforts on who your product or service is best suited for. Direct mail can have a great ROI and engagement rate, but only if you research your target market first.    

Run Tests

After you know who your market is and where they live, send out a few test batches, but make sure you have a way to track your customer’s engagement.   Perhaps you can include a coupon code unique to that specific mail campaign that you can track online, or a phone number/email address set up only for that campaign.  


Don’t Forget a CTA

Even if your mailer is colorful, informative, and delivered to your target market, it still needs a call to action (CTA).  Consider what you want the customer to do and define that for them in clear terms. Do you want them to buy? Use a coupon code? Take a survey? Donate to a charity? Create a compelling CTA to encourage them to do so.    


Proofread Your Mailers

Grammatical errors and typos can create a negative first impression for your business. Double-check the copy multiple times to ensure that it is clear of any typos or errors and have a few other sets of eyes look it over before getting it printed.  

Then, triple-check it. You’d be amazed the mailers without promo codes, no expiration dates, wrong numbers, and misspellings.

Drive Traffic to Your Online Presence

Though valuable, direct marketing is unlikely to be the bulk of your marketing strategy, and most of your business probably takes place online. Leverage high response rates from direct mail and get people active on your social media platforms.  

Do not forget to link your physical and digital marketing campaigns with scannable coupon codes, hashtag campaigns, or giveaways/promotions on your social channels.    

A Modern Twist on a Classic Marketing Channel

We believe direct mail is far from obsolete! It is still effective in closing the gap between your brand’s online presence and your customers.   Ready to stand out? Shake up your marketing efforts with a custom-made marketing strategy from Charisma Communications!

From social media management to content marketing, email campaigns, and direct mail, we do it all!  Implement an engaging marketing plan for your business, so your best clients stay with you, speak highly of you, and ultimately become true brand advocates! Contact us today for a marketing consultation!