Sending direct mail to prospective customers has long been a popular strategy used by marketers. In fact, direct mail marketing dates all the way back to the early 1800s, when Aaron Montgomery Ward created the first mail order catalog. This innovation sparked a revolution in the world of marketing and encouraged thousands of companies to follow suit.
Today, direct mail marketing continues to be a popular and effective way to appeal to consumers. Statistics show that direct mail accounts for the largest portion of U.S. local ad spending, sitting at $38.5 billion. This proves that, contrary to popular belief, some traditional marketing tactics aren’t dead.
Yet, how is this possible in today’s technological climate? The answer is simple: over 300 billion emails are sent out daily to customers all over the globe. This makes it easy for a company’s message to get lost. But when that same message is personalized and hand delivered, customers are much more likely to see it and respond.
Although sending direct mail sounds like a straightforward marketing strategy, it’s still important to remember that the printed, one-dimensional advertisements which were effective ten years ago are not going to cut it in 2021. Consumers are more digitally connected than ever before and prefer to receive product information from websites, blog posts, online articles and social media content.
So how can marketers combine traditional strategies like direct mail with digital marketing in order to gain the highest interaction and response rates? Simple. Through integrated marketing. This approach involves delivering an interconnected and interactive message about a company’s brand to their customer base.
Still confused? Don’t worry; we’ve listed four easy ways for you to refresh your company’s direct mail marketing strategies in 2021:
Add QR codes to your direct mail advertisements
By including a QR code into your printed message, customers can scan it with their mobile device and immediately take the action you want them to take. You can customize QR codes to direct customers to your company’s website, social media platforms, videos, virtual tours, or 360 virtual reality experiences. Make the journey from print to digital connection seamless.
Follow up your direct mail advertisements with an email
We talked about the likelihood of email advertisements getting lost in customers’ inboxes, but your brand is more likely to be recognized (and your message more likely to be seen) after an initial letter has been sent out. A week or more after mailing an advertisement to customers, drive real action by sending out a follow-up email which statistics show can increase response rates by 63%.
Post direct mail advertisements to your company’s social media platforms
The advertisements you create for your direct mail campaign should also be posted to your company’s social media accounts. This ensures visibility and allows you to gain insight into who interacts with your online content versus which prospective customers are receiving your direct mail advertisements. With this information, you can adjust your direct mailing list as needed.
Create custom direct mailing lists with Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads allows you to target your company’s marketing efforts toward customers who are most likely to visit your site. The process involves uploading your existing direct mailing list to Facebook’s Ads Manager. Once you have reviewed your custom audience list, you can create advertisements geared toward either existing customers or prospective customers who share behaviors and interests with your target market.
In 2021, customers are more digitally connected than ever before which means that your current direct mail marketing strategies might be due for an upgrade. Using these four integrated marketing strategies will not only bring your company into the current digital era, but also help you reach a much broader audience base.
