It's Time to Rethink Your Direct Mail Strategy
Let’s cut to the chase. Direct mail isn’t dead. But it’s likely that your strategy is.
Direct mail has become an afterthought for most companies. Something they do, but don’t truly track or put in the effort to make it successful. Everything is moving to digital. Email marketing is a “free” way to communicate with customers, and social media is far cheaper than printing and shipping direct mail pieces.
Both true. But there is more to the story and the strategy behind direct mail.
I personally enjoy direct mail. With everything moving digitally, it’s nice to have something physical at times. I would rather read a real book than download it on a kindle or iPad - but that’s just me. I spend my days on a computer being bombarded with advertisements. A little real-world marketing is refreshing to me, and I am not unique. 57% of Millennials have made purchases based on direct mail offers (USPS).
Yes, I toss many direct mail pieces immediately after looking at them. I also delete 95% of marketing emails after skimming the subject line - I don’t even open the email.
Marketers need to look at direct mail as a tool in their toolbox. It’s one piece of the puzzle, but a very important piece. Did you know that 54% of consumers prefer direct mail (Adweek)?
Let’s look a few other important data points.
98% of people check their mail daily (USPS). Not surprising. I look through it for important items, quickly glance at the direct mail pieces and trash whatever I can. Your design and offer on a direct mail piece is critical. You only have a few seconds to draw them in. Thankfully, you get more than a simple email headline to do that.
Print mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process, which makes it easier to recall (Canada Post & True Impact). This is so interesting. I love good design, and I believe a well designed direct mail piece can go a long way. Get creative, test new offers and designs. Find what works best.
79% of consumers act on direct mail immediately (DMA), and 60% will visit a brand website based upon direct mail (Adweek). How are you tracking this? Are you offering a strong call-to-action? A clear, concise and simple next step is critical for tracking the ROI of direct mail.
Direct Mail + Digital (Email) enhances results by 23-46%. This is the point I want to focus on the most. Combining traditional marketing with digital marketing techniques. You need both to keep the consumer engaged and moving from consideration to purchase.
Remember, 80% of sales are made between the 8th and 12th contact (DMA). Mix it up a bit and create a holistic clear lead nurturing campaign to drive sales.
A few years ago Nordstrom stopped sending loyalty rewards promotions to its loyal customers by mail in an attempt to get the program online and reach customers faster. Well, it backfired. That shift caused a reduction in foot traffic at all of its stores, and they had to lower their sales forecast for the quarter. Say what you want about the demographics at Nordstrom, but it’s clear that direct mail still holds a valuable place in your marketing strategy.
Here are a couple thoughts on how the building materials industry can better utilize direct mail.
Combine your direct mail, email campaigns and social efforts together. Track, trace and measure the responses and build a workflow that pushes them down the path to purchase. if you aren’t sure where to start, let’s chat. I know systems and solutions that can help automate this process and provide deeper insights into your direct mail and email initiatives.
Flip your retargeting efforts and send direct mail. Typically when we think of retargeting, we think of digital and social ads. But have you thought of retargeting IRL (in real life)? An action taken on your website kicks off a direct mail piece. In practice, retargeted direct mail is highly effective. A USPS survey of 75 marketing decision-makers found that 47% of respondents saw increased conversion rates with retargeted direct mail.
Create a call-to-action that offers them a free sample. Getting product into the hands of consumers is one of the best ways to push them from consideration to purchase.
Utilize QR Codes and Augmented Reality to create interactive direct mail campaigns.
How have you seen success in utilizing direct mail into your overall marketing strategy?