Direct mail marketing may not get the same attention as digital advertising, but it remains a critical part of your advertising strategy. With a direct mail campaign, you can reach prospects and customers directly, increase brand visibility and generate better response rates.
A lot goes into planning direct mail campaigns. Ideally, your campaigns should be customized for each stage of the buyer journey while also supporting other touch points. If you follow the tips below, you should see an improvement in response rates.
Follow the Buyer’s Journey
There are three main stages in the buyer journey: awareness, consideration and decision. By sending mail out at the right time, you can capture prospects and nurture them through the funnel.
Keep in mind that it takes time to see engagement from direct mail. You don’t need to be pushy, but you should send out several pieces. People are more likely to keep mail from retailers they know. Include incentives on your mailings to drive action such as QR codes, coupons, discounts and free promotional items.
Around the Holidays
People are more inclined to check their mail around the holidays because they are waiting for cards and gifts. They also tend to look more closely at their mail to see who’s sending it. Capitalize on the season by sending out holiday-themed postcards and mailings. Invite customers to your store and offer an incentive such as a coupon or free gift wrapping.
Aside from the winter holidays, you may also want to send direct mail on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Of course, this depends on your products and services, but people are often looking for unique gifts at this time of year.
Wish Customers a Happy Birthday
Using automation software, you can trigger a Happy Birthday postcard to be sent to your customers. Their friends and family are sending them cards so you should, too. This shows that you care about them and value them as a customer.
Make their birthday sweeter with a free gift or experience. For example, Starbucks offers their customers a free drink on their birthdays. Red Robin gives a free burger. If your product or service is more difficult to offer for free, consider sending a promotional product in the mail. Along with the gift, include a coupon for a future purchase.
Best Days for Engagement
You might be wondering if there are certain days that are better for sending mail. In fact, there are. The general rule of thumb is to send out mailings on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday – avoid the weekends. These mid-week days are the best times to engage with your audience because people are generally working and sorting through their mail at the end of the day.
Schedule Your Next Campaign with Inkwell USA
Are you ready to set up a direct mail campaign for your audience? Contact Inkwell USA to take your direct mail campaign to the next level. Not only can you send your customers a postcard or mailing, but you can also present them with a free promotional item. Branded swag is an effective way to reward your customers while increasing traffic and sales.