Direct Marketing

Direct mail is still one of the most effective, if not the most effective, way to reach customers for the cost. Here are ten facts about direct mail that show how it can bring your company a solid return on its investment.

Direct Mail Response Rates.
With email inboxes becoming more and more occupied by unwanted spam, legitimate email solicitations that a customer may be interested in are becoming lost in the shuffle. Conversely, a well crafted, vivid, attention-grabbing direct mail piece is likely not only to be seen but also to be responded to as well.

Fact. According to ANA/DMA in 2018, the response rate per house list for direct mail was an impressive 9%. It was the highest response rate for house lists since the report started and is nearly twice that of the response rate for 2017.

Fact. The direct mail response rate was 5% for prospect lists in 2018; which was substantially higher than it was in 2017 and the highest response rate for any year since 2003. A clear indicator that response rates continue to rise.

Fact. A lead generation campaign which uses a letter-sized envelope to recipients on a  house file produced an excellent median response rate of15%.

Fact. For decades now, we have been told that the internet is the future of marketing. Yet, despite that claim, direct mail continues to produce a greater response rate than that of any digital direct marketing mechanism. The response rate is a staggering nine times higher than that of email, pay per click or social media.

Fact. According to the USPS, the intended response rate in 2016 was 11% for standard mail and 13% for first-class mail.

Reading Direct Mail.
Again, as compared to ads received in an email, customers are more likely to read an ad received via direct mail. It could be that not having to go through the act of opening an email is a factor, or having the mailer in hand leads to a natural curiosity as to its contents; whatever the reason, there can be no doubt about the direct mail piece making an impression.

Fact. A study done by the USPS in 2016 showed that 75% of households regularly read or scan most of the direct mail ads they receive.

Fact. A Gallup poll taken in 2016 revealed that 36% of those under the age of 30 enjoy checking the mail each day. This fact runs contrary to the trope about Millennials only caring about what is on their smartphones and shows that the reports of direct mail’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Fact. It’s not just Millennials who enjoy checking mail on a daily basis, across all age groups, 41% look forward to going to the mailbox each day and seeing what is inside.

Fact. In 2015 Baby Boomers were influenced the most by flyers, advertising cards and catalogs more than any other form of media.

Fact. Direct mail is a “no-brainer”, case in point- it requires 21% less brainpower to process than does digital media and evokes a much greater positive brand recall.

In Conclusion.
Despite being awash in digital technology, there is something lasting and true about holding a piece of mail in your hand that cannot be duplicated or replaced by email or any other form of digital media. It is that visceral response that keeps people looking out their home or office window to see if their mail carrier is coming. In fact, being able to hold on to something that was personally sent to you or your company is a feeling that only direct mail can bring.

Direct mail has proven the test of time and still has proven itself to be one of the most effective tools that any company can have at their marketing department’s disposal. In the digital age direct mail, especially business to business direct mail, is a proven way to get past some of the digital gatekeepers that can relegate your emails to the spam filter. So, with the fact that direct mail still stands strong after centuries of use, here are five reasons your company should use direct mail for its direct marketing campaign.

Direct Mail Gets Your Email Noticed.

A well designed, eye-catching, direct mail piece can bring about name recognition and will begin to linger in your prospective customer’s memory. After receiving a  few direct mail pieces, your target recipient may become curious about your company and notice your email in their inbox. In this way, you are overcoming a common problem in the digital age known as “fragmentation of attention.” Fragmentation of attention is the decline in how long someone can focus on one thing. Recent studies show that the average amount of time someone can stay focused on any one thing is between eight to twelve seconds.  A vibrant direct mail piece can grab and keep hold of someone’s attention and therefore build brand and name recognition, thus making more likely your email will be opened when they recognize your company’s name.

Direct Mail Helps Build Your Brand Locally.

Selling to your local market is often more convenient than selling to an out of state or out of the country market. Local customers may already be somewhat aware of your brand, through print or broadcast ad campaigns, or simply may have seen your company as they traveled past it. So, your company already has a brand foundation locally from which to build. Direct mail marketing helps you to tailor your message to those potential local customers who are likely to purchase your product. Direct mail sent locally helps your company to capitalize on the organic relationship between your company and potential customers that already exists.

Direct Mail Gets Better Responses than Email, Social Media, or Internet Marketing.

Studies show that emails only have a 1% response rate; social media also only boasts a 1% response rate. Internet marketing produces less than 1% in responses. Direct mail, however, garners a response rate of 3.7%. Since customers are more likely to convert from direct mail recipients to paying customer’s your company is much more likely to see a higher ROI from direct mail than an email blast, a Search Engine Optimization campaign, or a Pay Per Click campaign.

Direct Mail can Drive Traffic to Your Company’s Website.

Adding your company’s webs address to a direct mailer is a simple way to drive traffic to your company’s site. Use your direct mail piece to describe your company, products, and any sales you may have. After the piece has served its primary purpose use your company’s web address in combination with a free offer such as a digital download or a coupon. You can require the customer to fill out a brief survey before they get the download or coupon to gather customer demographics. Use the customer demographics you collect to tailor your next direct mail campaign.

Customer’s Don’t Consider Direct Mail Spam.

Due to its personal appeal and physical properties studies have shown that a customer will open an email at a staggering 90% rate. Because direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort; which means that messages are absorbed quickly and will be embedded in the customer’s memory, these facts underscore why direct has been and remains such an effective means of communication with customers.

As Long as There Are Mailboxes, Direct Mail Will be Effective.

It’s a time tested, proven method that works despite being over five hundred years old. It’s true, the advent of the printing press by Gutenberg in 1440 made mass production of flyers possible. As the mail systems around the world improved, so did direct mail marketing. Sears built an empire on its direct mail catalogs. In recent years Sears abandoned that model, and their business has been on the decline ever since.  

The things that made direct mail marketing a success then are still why it works today. Direct mail marketing is personalized; it is being sent directly to one person. Direct mail can be colorful and attention-grabbing.  It allows you to use your branding such as fonts, logos, and language. Not only is direct mail marketing a trusted marketing method, but it still achieves in today’s digitally dominated world. Direct mail can bypass the vast magnitudes of digital flash and noise that surrounds us.  Not only is it more effective in many ways than banner ads, pay-per-click, and SEO enhancements, but also can give you a higher return on investment. You know a customer will at least hold and look at a direct mail piece, with pay-per-click ads and search engine result pages (SERP) a customer may only glance at it for a few seconds; which brings us to our next point.

Direct Mail Marketing Last Longer Than Digital Marketing.

True, what is put on the internet stays there forever, but that does not mean people will look at it forever (unless you are a politician or celebrity who tweeted something objectionable years ago). For the rest of us, marketing campaigns on the internet disappear into the ether and are never seen again. This analogy is no exaggeration; a tweet has about 20 minutes that it will be looked at by a customer. During that 20 minutes, the numbers of views will decrease unless you are fortunate enough to be retweeted. A Facebook post last a little bit longer than a tweet, around two hours.  By contrast, a direct mail piece lasts at least 24 hours and can sit around someone’s office or home for weeks or months. It is not unusual to hear stories about customers responding to a mailing that had gone out months earlier.

Direct Mail Marketing Doesn’t get Routed to a Spam Filter.

If you have taken part in a mass marketing email blast, you know that half or more of the emails sent then wind up in a spam filter. If you are not aware of what ever-changing terms get your email sent to a spam filter, you can count on nearly all of it being routed away from inboxes. Direct mail doesn’t get sorted and put into a secondary mailbox; it goes directly to the customer’s hands. You know that a customer will at least skim the piece, as where the average customer won’t read what is in their spam filter.

It Can Drive Customers To Your Company’s Online Presence.

If you’ve spent time and effort in producing a high quality, attention-grabbing website, it means nothing if people don’t visit. You can use pay-per-click-ads to try and guide customer’s to your site, but if you don’t use just the right language, it may not work. Direct mail pieces with your company’s web address will receive organic clicks from people typing in the address on their own. Including social media addresses will also drive customers to those platforms. Make sure to have backlinks to your website in social media posts to draw attention from search engines. Even in this day and age, direct mail can enhance your online presence and SERP results.

Direct mail continues to be as effective now as in Victorian times. It will be useful for the foreseeable future because there is still a visceral advantage of the physical over the digital.

How Can Direct Mail Help Your Company?

If your company is involved in direct marketing, you are most likely aware that direct mail Is still a feasible option in your marketing campaigns. With full email inboxes and a neverending stream of online advertising, direct mail stands out from the rest. A direct mail advertisement comes to the customer physically and won’t be lost amidst competing emails. The customer can actually hold the mail, which makes it more likely that it will be read. The addressee of the correspondence also has a sense that the email is personal. Names and tailored details make the customer feel your company truly cares about them. Direct mailings can either target specific groups to sell a product or convey a message. With a target demographic it is easier to promote a product or service through devices such as catalogs, brochure, and postcards. It is also budget friendly; you can be sure that there will be a return on investment. Bulk rates make mass mailings affordable and profitable. Direct mail is also a proven marketing strategy that has made it through decades of technological advancement from the radio to television to smartphones.  Here are some ways direct mail can help you effectively reach customers.

Direct Mail Should be Part of Your Full Marketing Campaign.

With the attention a direct mailing will create, incorporating it into an overall strategy is wise. The word campaign is appropriate for this marketing strategy; which will have to be continuous to work. A combination of mailings, social media posts, emails, and online ads will have to be executed to reach new customers. Being persistent is the key to being successful in your campaign.

Add A Personal Touch.

Dale Carnegie got it right; people love to hear or read their own name.  The more personalized you can make your content the more likely it will grab the customer’s attention. It shows that you know who your customers are and that your company cares about them. It also means that your customer will remember your company because your mailing was personal.

Build Your Brand With Direct Mail.

The time spent reading a mailer will exceed time spent in reading a social media post or an email. It is the perfect opportunity to convey more about your product or service. Make sure that your mailer has vibrant graphics that will hold the customer’s attention and fonts, images, and icons laid out in your company’s branding style guide. Including information on how your product or service could benefit a customer, you are developing both your brand and the customer’s loyalty.

Make Sure Customer Information is Current.

Using the same data for a mailing done five years ago will not reach the same customers. People move, and companies go out of business, so you want to make sure your database is up to date. Accurate data is crucial to reach your target demographic. You also want to make sure that the mailings go to customers who will buy your goods or services. Having accurate data will let you know what age, income, interests potential customers have and how best to market to their individual needs.  

Don’t Use a Weak Call to Action.

As with an email or social media campaign your call to action cannot be half-hearted. You want to convince your customer that your company’s product or service can improve their life. Without a strong call to action, you will not convince customers of anything. The most effective way to get a customer to respond to your call to action is by using the right language, keeping it brief, and making sure it is on several locations in your flyer. Use the call of action anywhere you can without spoiling the aesthetics of your mailer.  Weeks after the mailer was read customers will remember your call to action.

Call BMS Direct today for all your direct mail needs!!

Consumer preferences have changed so much in the past 5 years that a lot of traditional marketing tactics now seem nonsensical because they are not effective anymore. Direct marketing strategy is no different. The most advanced retailers are recognizing that when direct mail and behavioral analytics are used synergistically they sell more stuff! When paired with online consumer data, the impact of print can be greater than ever before.

The progression to what is now possible can be broken down by looking at how direct marketers use data.

1-TO-EVERYONE

Reprinted from Better Ways

If your company is involved in direct marketing, then you know that direct mail has not gone the way of the dinosaur. When a potential customer has an inbox full of emails, it is much more likely you will grab their attention with direct mail.  Direct mail campaigns can be time-consuming, taking hours to stuff envelopes. The whole process of sending direct mail manually can be problematic and at times chaotic. What can you do to avoid the pitfalls of manually sending direct mail? The answer is simple, migrate to automated direct mail.  Here are some reasons why automation will work for your company.

Software Remembers to Notify Customers.

When you have an upcoming event or announcement the software’s application programming interface (or API) will communicate with your customer’s server. The customer can also send requests to you with customized information. The ease of having customized content stored will allow your software to create and send unique mailing pieces.

It Gives Your Customers More Control.

As previously stated, the latest automation software interfaces with your customer’s server, which in turn gives them more control. They can track mailings and have mailings that are triggered by specific events.

It Gives Your Company More Control.

t used to be that a marketing company would have to email a spreadsheet to a printing company and hope for the best that everything would come out the way it should. Now with API’s the process has changed; the mailing information is stored in a database that is connected with an automated system. You can oversee your direct mail campaign from a single location.  This means no more cutting and pasting between systems. Integration will act as a cybersphere where all your tools communicate.

Elimination of Human Error.

The larger the mailing, the greater chance someone along the line will make a mistake. It is almost inevitable the more people who are involved with a direct mailing, the greater the chance of something going wrong.  With automation you remove multiple employees and vendors from the direct mail process. This eliminates reprints or a second mailing to correct the first.

Improved Analytics.

The larger the mailing, the greater chance someone along the line will make a mistake. It is almost inevitable the more people who are involved with a direct mailing, the higher the chance of something going wrong.  With automation, you remove multiple employees and vendors from the direct mail process. This eliminates reprints or a second mailing to correct the first.

More Productivity.

With your direct mailings being automated there will be more time for your company’s employees to focus on other tasks.  No more time sifting through their inboxes searching for emails from a vendor. Less time will be spent on the phone with a vendor ensuring everything goes exactly as it should. What used to take multiple employees to accomplish, takes minimal employee effort after automation.

The bottom line is that automating your mail system will increase both productivity and results. There are far more reasons to automate than not to automate. The thing to consider is if building an in-house automated direct mail system is going to yield return on investment. The initial costs of a direct mail API can be expensive, and without enough return on investment, it may be wrong for your company.  Be sure to thoroughly research the partner you choose in building your automated direct mail system. The right company should be able to give you the costs and time frame up front. Make sure to request the contact information from their former customers as a reference.

As API technology advances, it will continue to make automation of direct mailings the clear choice for companies who have a high volume of mailing campaigns. In the future, the software may be able to anticipate needs from recurring events and make suggestions. So, it remains up to you, would your marketing company benefit from automated direct mailings?