According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) 2017 report, direct mail is still going strong despite yearly predictions that its success will eventually dwindle. Out of all the new marketing channels available today, you can’t beat direct mail as the industry workhorse, with the highest response rate of all.
That means the 19% of marketers who say they’re planning to decrease their use of direct mail over the next 12 months might want to rethink their strategy. Maybe, instead of decreasing their efforts, they could use a DM refresh.
Here are some ideas to spice up your current direct mail strategy:
Get creative with shape and fold…
A colleague recently received a mailing selling t-shirts that unfolded…into the shape of a t-shirt! Another teammate received a communication folded down so small it was the size of a business card. With each unfold, more content was revealed—creating a fun and intriguing piece.
Simply changing up the visual presentation can intrigue your customer, especially if they’re used to receiving the same format from you. Of course, as with any marketing communication, the basics need to be present: clear, easy-to-read content, a strong call to action, and a targeted list remain essential to success.
Think inside the box…
Sometimes thinking “inside the box” can be a good thing, especially when it’s literally a box that grabs your customer’s curiosity. Consider going beyond the regular #10 and sending a dimensional communication. Extra points if there’s a chotsky inside that makes noise when you shake the box, or gives the package some heft.
This type of mailing is definitely more expensive, so you’ll need to make sure it fits into your budget, but an unusual (and unexpected) dimensional mailing is sure to get your potential customer’s attention.
Make it personal…
Have your direct mail piece lead your customer online to a personalized landing page. Incorporating this digital component allows you to make the content unique to that customer.
Just make sure the web content is mobile optimized. More people are using their phones and tablets than their desktops. In fact, 80% of Internet users have a smart phone, and 50% of smart phone users admit that they look at their phones first thing when they wake up in the morning.
Get specific…
Combining digital data with direct response makes DM even more effective. Programmatic direct mail marketing works much like retargeting online, where customers see ads on the screen for products they’ve looked at while browsing. With programmatic direct mail marketing, a direct mail piece focused on selling that product can land in the customer’s physical mailbox in just a few days.
This kind of flexibility—not only in format but in creative presentation—is one of the reasons direct mail remains on top. It’s flexible. It’s accommodating. It performs great on its own, and when combined with other channels—for instance, pairing it with email to create a compelling campaign to drive customers online.
Whether you follow a traditional post card mailer with a dimensional package, or you combine your DM with digital marketing, the fact is, direct mail has the highest response rate of all marketing channels. Either way, it’s one of the smartest ways to invest your marketing budget.
Bottom line: direct works.
