Best Practices in Direct Mail Marketing

"Companies still consider non-catalog direct mail a crucial element in their media campaigns. Despite enormous growth in the online channels, direct mail remains a key and integral component of direct marketing," said Anne B. Frankel, Senior research manager, Direct Marketing Association.

Though email is a relatively newer concept, and is more cost effective, the chances of the email ending in a target customer’s junk folder are more than ninety percent. Hence, there are more chances of increasing the ROI by using a direct mailer like a coupon or special scheme brochure, sent to the customer in a personalized regular mail. The biggest advantage of direct mail is that it attempts to sends its messages to the customer without the use of intervening media. Direct mail allows the marketer to design pieces in different formats. Direct mailings are very effective as they are highly targeted and personalized. The response can also be easily tracked. According to a survey, "87% of consumers are either "very" or "quite" satisfied with the free or special scheme coupons they receive through direct mail insert services"

The advantages of direct mail are as follows:

1. Targeting - Direct mail has the ability to target previous customers. If there is a good list, it will target the right prospects.

2. Personalization - Direct mail addresses the customer personally, it can also be tailored to their needs. This can be done by checking the previous transactions and data.

3. Optimization - Because of their direct accountability, the direct mailings can be tested to find the best list, the best offer, the best timing, etc. These tests can be rolled out to a wider audience for optimal results.

4. Analysis - These mails sent in bulk are used for analysis. Results of the mails can be analyzed to understand the performance of individual offers and the performance of lists .This analysis creates a better selection of offers and lists for future mail outs.

5. Accumulation - Positive and negative responses can be added to the database which allows future mailings to be better targeted.

Like any other form of marketing, direct mail marketing should be optimized in every possible way. To get the best ROI, constant improvement is required in every aspect of our direct mail campaigns. Here are few tips to get the most out of the direct mail efforts:

Good offer: Great offers always motivate people to respond. So, more than the content and the design, we need to focus on the offer or incentive that's going to make people eager to know more.

Profiling of the mailing list: It is important to find answers to questions like: what is the goal, what types of clients have you had success with in the past, who is to be contacted at each company and what is their role, etc. By answering these questions, you can better narrow down your mailing list and hone your messaging.

Golden glimpse on the catchy headline: Direct mails only have a brief moment, which is referred as the "golden glimpse", to capture the reader's attention. The moment either engages them or loses them. A strong headline can help you to survive the glimpse.

Right image: Don't select an image just because it's pretty. Most importantly, it should support the headline mentioned above. Together, they must identify and engage the audience. The image should be eye-catching and relevant to your headline and message.

One idea per mailing: By limiting each direct mail to one product, service, idea or topic, it can be developed in a way that it generates a response. Primary benefits are explained and product photos can be included, so that the mailing will make a strong offer. However, you can't do all that while covering several topics on a direct mail as the space is limited.

Clear message: Don't assume that the audience will understand your products as well as you do. Your message has to be very clear and easy to understand. If people don't get it the first time around, they won't give it another glance.

Next Action is to be stated clearly and simply: This is what the entire mailing leads to and tells what the reader should do next in order to learn more or take action. It's critical that this is clear, simple and realistic. So, make the message less complex and give an easy way for them to respond.

Strike a balance with the expected response and the offered incentive: The more you ask of people, the more they would expect in return. If you ask for too much with your direct mailers but offer too little, it would not be a successful mailing. If your next step is relatively simple, you can get by with a smaller incentive; but if you ask people to do something which is time consuming, like filling out a lengthy form online, you will need to offer a more attractive incentive. You need to strike a good balance.

Direct mailers have been very successful with offering a variety of products and services. The best thing about a mailer is its versatility which allows it to be used for almost any marketing purpose. Like any other form of marketing, Direct mailers have their own set of best practices to improve the response rates.