Tag Archive for: direct mail marketing

How to Execute a Successful Direct Mail Campaign in 2019

Many people think direct mail is losing its touch. Well, those people are wrong. Direct mail services will always be a critical marketing solution as long as you know how to stay ahead of the curve. 

Many people hate the idea of change, but it’s not always a bad thing. The direct mail industry goes through several changes every year, but they’re all for the better. And we’re not talking about just switching up a postcard design. As St. Louis’ premier source for direct mail and printing support, we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. 

The Keys to Successful Direct Mail Marketing in 2019

If you have an idea for a direct mail marketing campaign, make sure you’re aware of the latest trends in the personal outreach industry. This includes the latest policies and procedures enacted by the United States Postal Services (USPS). Once you’ve mastered these standards, you’ll be able to put your direct mail strategy together by following these five critical steps:

Build the Right Mailing List 

First, you need to define your target audience. This determines the types of people who will receive your marketing pieces. Whether they’re loyal customers, prospects, or a combination of both, you’ll need to target specific segments based on things like:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Income levels
  • ZIP codes
  • Neighborhoods
  • Interests
  • Purchasing behaviors

If you operate with a customer relationship management (CRM) system like Salesforce or Hubspot, make sure you pull accurate data from these tools to form a proper mailing list. Once you collect all this data, you’ll be able to prepare different types of mailing options including subscriber lists, consumer direct mail lists, affiliate lists, and even B2B lists.

Create Stunning Designs

The design is one of the most important aspects of your direct mail strategy. You want to create a personal design that connects with each audience member. The design reflects your overall company image and reputation, so it’s important to create a unique yet professional layout. To captivate audiences with your design, you’ll need to follow these criteria:

  • Create bold headlines with a clear call to action
  • Choose an image that successfully supports the message
  • Decide on an eye-popping color scheme
  • Use subheads that lead into the main text
  • Continuously promote your benefits
  • Make the company name and logo stand out
  • Include the right contact information

Budget for Printing and Mailing Costs

Direct mail marketing is predicated on five things:

  • The number of prints produced
  • The type of design created
  • How long your mailing list(s) is
  • The addresses you’re using
  • Postage rates

This is a lot to tackle, especially if you’re handling everything on your own. The most cost-effective way to execute your strategy is with help from a direct mail service provider like Presort Inc. We’ll be able to take care of everything from start to finish to ensure every aspect of your campaign is successful. There’s no reason you should have to break the budget on your campaign, so just pay one small service fee with us and we’ll make sure it all turns out flawlessly. 

Know the Logistics 

This is where you’ll need to know the ins and outs of postage routes, presorting, and the door stops. First, you’ll have to determine whether you want to mail to a targeted mailing list or if you want to expand it to include people in certain geographic areas. This is a tactic called Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM). If more prospects are in this entire location, the chance of you getting a higher return on your investment (ROI) is much greater. Once you’ve made that decision, you’ll need to account for warehousing and distribution services. You’ll pay more depending on the type of packaging and the number of orders that need to be fulfilled. 

Regularly Update Your Campaign

It’s important to measure the effectiveness of your campaign. Make sure to study every stage of the buyer’s process and label where each prospect sits. Send loyal customers new rewards opportunities and let new prospects know about new sales. This helps build brand awareness and promotes new activities. Always follow up periodically with unique personal mail items that interact with different CTAs. Whether you’re encouraging people to claim a scratch-off prize or follow you on social media, it’s best to keep things fresh and exciting.

Polish Your Direct Mail Marketing Efforts With Presort Inc.

The experts at Presort Inc. work tirelessly to make sure your direct mail campaign goes according to plan. We’ll be by your side from the initial design to the final print and distribution. Whether you’re getting ready to kick off a new marketing campaign or just want to revive an old one, you can always count on Presort Inc. to make it a success. 

Contact us today to learn more about our affordable and comprehensive service options!

/by

6 Ways to Build an Effective Direct Mail Campaign

We live in a world dominated by digital advertising, but an effective direct mail piece is a surefire way to stand out in the eye of the consumer. 

Technology has transformed the marketing industry. Digital advertisements flood our screens every time we surf the web, scroll through social media, and check our emails. Yes, these are quick and easy ways to create brand awareness, but there isn’t a lot of authenticity behind these marketing tactics. Though we live in a world dominated by the internet, it’s best to take a traditional outreach approach and execute a more personal strategy. 

How to Building a Successful Direct Mail Strategy

Digital technology may be changing the printing and mailing industry, but there will always be a need for a direct mail service. But before you begin distributing advertisements to prospects and loyal customers, make sure you put these six critical practices into effect: 

1. Study Your Data

The first step in creating a direct mail campaign is to leverage accurate data. If your company operates with a customer relationship management (CRM) system, make sure you’re pulling the latest data sets from your dashboard. This gives you a clear indication of who your target audience should be. From there, you’ll be able to build an accurate mailing composed of potential customers and loyal purchasers.

2. Build a Personal Campaign

The most effective types of direct mail are those with a personal touch. And that means more than just addressing the package with someone’s first name. Every prospect and customer is unique, so make sure you treat them as individuals. Create personal mail items based on the information collected from your CRM tool. Segmenting your data and providing personal offers helps yield the best results. 

3. Time It Perfectly

If you want a good response rate, you need to make sure you time the delivery appropriately. To get a good return on your investment, you’ll have to make a connection with your audience using the right medium at the right time. For example, it’s best to mail a personal brochure about an upcoming holiday sale at the beginning of the winter. Finally, make sure to take note of which stage of the buyer’s journey the prospect is in. 

4. Take Multiple Approaches

When it comes to direct mail, it’s best to switch up your marketing efforts. Integrate multiple pieces into your direct mail campaign. Don’t just focus on a single brochure or postcard. Fill your campaign with a variety of mail items. For best results, it’s wise to A/B test your efforts to see which item has the best effect on your audience. And to generate the best response, encourage audience members to interact with your social media ads and email promotions. This improves promotional efforts all around. 

5. Measure the Success of Your Marketing Efforts

At the beginning of your campaign, you should set up measurable key performance indicators (KPIs). As you build out the campaign, follow up periodically to track the results. These are some of the metrics you should be taking into account:

  • Size of the target audience
  • Cost per item mailed
  • The total campaign budget 
  • Response/conversion ratios
  • The average income per prospect
  • Profit accumulated since the start of the campaign

Measuring these results throughout the course of your campaign enables you to sharpen your strategy, giving your campaign a competitive edge.

6. Execute and Renovate

Once you’ve collected the results you need, use that data. Alter your campaign regularly based on the responses you’ve previously generated. This optimizes your direct mail pieces, ensuring they meet your prospect’s interests. Always be persistent when executing your direct mail campaign as well. Send multiple follow-ups according to the different sets of information you have on file. 

Create the Perfect Direct Mail Campaign With Presort

When you’re ready to put the perfect direct mail strategy into effect, contact the experts at Presort Inc. We are a team of problem solvers who will do whatever it takes to get your personal mail in front of the right set of eyes. You can count on us to be there every step of the way, from the initial design to order fulfillment and beyond.

Get ready to take your direct mail campaign to the next level by setting up a free consultation with the Presort Inc. team today!

/by

Tips To Help You Design Engaging Direct Mail

Direct mail is a great marketing tactic to build rapport with your customers. A great mail piece is something that will make a lasting impression on your target audience. It speaks directly to the consumer and relays a message that resonates to their needs. Today, one of the most important components of a mail marketing campaign is the element of graphic design.

 

As experts in direct mail graphic design, we’ve learned the best approaches needed to pull off a successful direct outreach campaign. If you want to put together more creative direct mail designs, then make sure you practice these strategies:

Keep It Simple:

By now, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “less is more.” This is extremely vital when your company is putting together a mail campaign. When it comes to direct mail marketing, simplicity is the best approach to take. Don’t overfill your mail piece with pictures and long content. Use simple pictures and relevant information that is easy for readers to remember.

Be Brief And Quick To The Point:

Active images and a distinctive design are the most important parts of any tangible mail piece. A high-quality piece of mail always has one clear call to action boldly labeled. Aside from that, you want to use as little content as possible in order to get your message across. Be direct and use brief details.

Add Color:

When you are designing and printing mail advertisements, color is one of the essential elements that will enhance your piece. Use an eye-popping color that grabs the reader’s attention. An appropriate color scheme will trigger an emotional connection with the reader.

Utilize Imagery:

Adding graphics to your design is a great way to convey your message. A powerful image will stimulate the brain much faster than reading text. Be creative and avoid using  stock images as much as possible. Don’t over clutter the design with a bunch of different images. This can be overwhelming for your audience to look at. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to use two to three images per piece.

Use Sense-Appealing Elements:

Colors and graphics are usually the most exciting parts of your design, but it’s important to use the right ones. Additionally, it’s also important to design a piece that appeals to the rest of your senses. Don’t just create a design that looks great. Make sure the body of the document is a smooth, yet enticing texture. If you really want to make the right impression on your audience, then choose a comfortable texture like a glossy finish.

Size Appropriately:

When it comes to direct mail, the size of the finished product can be a major difference maker. There’s nothing wrong with standard postcards, but sometimes it’s best to go against the grain. Sending out prints that are noticeably larger or smaller will stand out to prospects and customers. This is a subtle way to differentiate you from your competitors.

Create Personal Messages That Resonate:

Personalization and authenticity are key to sending mail that will persuade your audience. Personalize your designs towards individuals on your mailing list. This shows customers that you genuinely care about solving their problems. Offering a personal service in your mail piece will show people that you have a trustworthy solution that serves their needs.

 

/by

How to Make Direct Mail Work for Your Business

Over the years, digital marketing and social media have been making a splash in the advertising industry. This is a mass-marketing tactic that reaches large audiences quickly. If you own a business, it’s good to have the right people running these marketing campaigns, but even better to have a direct mail strategy in your arsenal. Direct mail is a great way to make a personal connection with your target customers, but, unfortunately, not everyone knows how to execute this type of marketing service properly.

As an experienced direct mail company, our team knows how to pull off a successful mail campaign. In return, this can help you generate better conversion rates and a more successful bottom line. If you want to take your business to another level, it’s important to practice these printing and mailing strategies:

Enhance Your Social Media Presence

Online advertising alone isn’t the best way to get your message noticed. In fact, according to a recent survey, 71% of people say they don’t pay attention to most advertisements online. This includes emails, display ads, and targeted campaigns. Compare that to 63% of the same respondents reading printed advertising mail that is addressed to them and delivered to their homes. Online ads allow you to go in-depth and give people an easy way to contact your business, but people have a degree of mistrust for online content. Direct mail is tangible and can drive people to go online and find out more about your products and services.

Make Your Call to Action Clear

When it comes to direct mail, it’s important to have a clear and concise message. You should have one main call to action listed on the mail piece. This eliminates confusion and helps you generate the business you’re looking for. Make your call to action jump out at the reader in the title or on another headline.

Use Split-Testing Techniques

Be unique with your postcard designs. When it comes to postcard printing, it’s important to have multiple copies and designs ready. Create different custom pieces to send to different people on your mailing list. Send two different designs and see which one generates the most successful traction. If one design generates a higher response rate, it’s probably best to use that type of custom design going forward. This sets the tone for the rest of your direct mailing campaign.

Check in on Your Customers

Direct mailing is all about building loyalty and trust with your customers. If a prospect purchases one of your goods or services, follow up with them to see what they thought. This will help you build rapport with your customers and show the appreciation you have for their business.

Influence People to Visit Your Website

Sending direct mail is a great way to cross promote the other services you offer. Entice readers to visit your website to learn more about your company’s solutions. It’s always a good idea to supply your prospects with a redeemable code or coupon that can only be activated online. This should help you generate more traffic, sales, and conversions from your website.

Personalize All Messages

Personalization and authenticity are the key components to a successful mail marketing campaign. Tailor your message around the individual as much as possible. If they are a previous customer, try to bring up something you know will interest them. This shows customers that you want to provide an honest service that solves their specific problems.

Use Brief and Relevant Content

Don’t waste time cluttering your mailed piece with content. Be brief with your text and use relevant details. The fact is that readers typically have a short attention span. No one wants to spend time reading a postcard that is flooded with words. Provide them with a piece that is direct, catchy, and meaningful.

 

/by