The Do's And Dont's Of Direct Mail Marketing

In an increasingly paperless world, many companies may not see the value in direct mail marketing campaigns. The mere concept of digging into the marketing budget to print thousands of postcards might even seem downright crazy to a generation who grew up Googling everything. Yet, the numbers don’t lie, and direct mail is still the best value dollar for dollar while offering the best ROI, even up against the magic of digital marketing. While the business world is continually moving towards electronic communication, your brand can get the message across in a powerful way via direct marketing. Here are a few dos and don’ts to ensure the best campaign possible.

1. DO Approach your campaign with the 40/40/20 Rule

The rules of success are simple, particularly if you follow the 40/40/20 rule. Essentially the success of your campaign rests upon three parts. The first part being the people on your mailing list, the second part is your actual offer, and the rest is based on everything else from the design of your postcard to the copy.

2. DO Make an incredible call to action

Your offer, or call to action, is the entire purpose of your direct mailings, so be sure it stands out. Note, it doesn’t have to be a discount or special offer, it could advertise everything from a grand opening to a contest. The point is, a direct mailer isn’t simple to let people know you exist, it’s just too hard to efficiently track those kind of metrics. The postcard should have a call to action that gets people into your store or using your services.

3. DO Know your audience

One of the quickest ways to waste money is to simply pick a zip code and send your offer to everyone in that address. Like your business, your offer isn’t going to appeal to everyone, so make sure your list is targeted and spend some time coming up with a great deal. After all, the underlying goal of your campaign is to gain new customers, so it’s worth spending some time on your marketing list as well as your offer.

4. DO Test out the market

Even if you think you have the best deal, it’s a good idea to do a test run to measure your results. This is particularly true if you are operating your business in a small neighborhood or community. Start small to measure the ROI and you’ll easily be able to test the results every step of the way.

5. DON'T Waste too much time on the design

Shhh! Your graphic designer isn’t going to like this one, but it’s true. Don’t go overboard trying to create the flashiest, most eye-catching design. You should spend an equal amount of time on the offer you choose, the copy on the postcard, and the overall design. If you’re unsure about what your postcard should look like, the folks at LetterHUB will be happy to help.

6. DON'T Send everything out without proofreading

The fastest way to look unprofessional is to have typos in your direct mailing piece. Unlike an online advertisement where you can go in and edit, once a postcard is out, it’s out. Proofread EVERYTHING. And then, proofread again. Send it around to your colleagues. The more eyes giving it a once over, the better.

7. DON'T Forget to follow up

Once everyone gets the postcard and does exactly what your call to action hopes they do, you need to take action. Track the coupon codes or postcards that come in. Compare sales numbers prior to your campaign vs. after the campaign. By following up and tracking everything, you’ll be able to confidently decide the success of the campaign. Additionally, having the information of your customers will allow you to re-engage with them after the offer is over.

8. DON'T Overlook the need to drive online traffic

You can beef up your online traffic with direct mail. Be sure to include links to your site, social pages, and request emails for newsletters. Combining your online and offline marketing efforts will help to completely engage your customers.

Ready to start that direct mail campaign?

Head over to LetterHUB, a printing, processing, and mailing company that helps businesses of all sizes save time, money, and effort with their invoices, statements, and other regular mailings. From handling billing and collections to invoices and more, they offer a variety of resources in our product suite to help make your business more intuitive, convenient and productive. If you have any questions about getting started with LetterHUB, call [phone] or head over to www.LetterHUB.com