First it was the fax machine. It was supposed to do away with direct mail completely.
That didn’t happen.
Then there was email. A worldwide alert sounded that direct mail would be done away with – this time forever.
Again, that sure didn’t happen.
With the explosion of social media and social networking, a cry was yet again heard that direct mail is going the way of the dinosaur. No, it is not.
Direct mail is more vital than ever!
Would you like to learn a few vital, innovative tactics to breathe new meaningful life into your next direct mail campaign and possibly experience higher response rates than you’ve ever had before? You should, because direct mail is here to stay and the smart money is on the marketer who learns how to leverage its power.
Many marketers have forgone direct mail altogether because of just one lousy campaign. Poor ROI means the future of any medium is questionable.
But cancelling a program with the proven ability to produce results is insanity – especially instead of a new medium that does not have the same capabilities. The qualifications are unknown!
Often, these same bothered marketers are under the gun to find their next competitive advantage, which will help make them and their product shine. They are the first to cast off direct mail and evangelize any new medium that promises them glory.
One of the reasons this happens is that new mediums are hard to measure. New metrics are in their infancy, early campaigns have no measuring stick, and often new mediums are widely exciting & elicit genuine curiosity. These traits make for an attractive bedfellow for the frustrated marketer.
But how can any marketer ignore things such as Email, Twitter or Facebook? The ease and speed are there. The instant response is there. The vast savings are there. But relatively speaking, they are still young. And they are all digital. Your customers may not have embraced them the same way you have. Some people are fiercely private and skeptical about anything digital. This may make for a severe intrusion into their space.
So what can be done? Simple. Start thinking integrated instead of stand-alone.
Because direct mail is personal, there is a comfort level that is extremely hard to replicate through any other medium. It is also a tangible medium – people pick it up, feel it, and hold on to it.
Let’s explore some ideas that will give you new reasons to love direct mail again:
- Add a small ‘Follow Us’ band or box to your piece to let your customers know that they can visit you online – if they wish.
- Use variable data printing to create very personalized pieces with different images, calls to action, or information.
- Add your website and email address to your company copy. Let people know that you have a web presence – it adds another touchpoint for recall.
- Better yet – add a specialized landing page or unique URL explicitly tailored to your customer around your offer or perhaps their interests.
- Employ a multi-pronged approach – use social media, email and/or mobile messaging to let your customers know to ‘Be on the lookout for your next piece of mail’ – use the other mediums to increase the response to your direct mail.
The best thing about direct mail is that it is outside of every other medium. It is not screaming electronically; it is not intrusive; it does not take the focus off the task at hand. It is a staple. People expect their mail. People look forward to their mail. It is the best way to talk directly to your customers, on their time, in their home.
Give us a call. A Russell House Direct Marketing Advisor is a direct mail specialist and an evangelist. They will have you excited about the endless possibilities and opportunities for your next campaign. Give us a call. Let us help put your mail in the right hands.
While communication may have changed, good old fashioned mail has only been made more robust, better, and more interactive than ever before. Marketers should be lining up to integrate all of their new tools with direct mail.