What is direct mail marketing and how can it help your business?

Direct mail marketing isn’t as common as it used to be, but it can still enhance your wider marketing strategy. If executed correctly, it could give your business a real boost. Below, we explore what direct mail marketing is and how it can help your business.

What is direct mail?

Direct mail refers to physically sending potential customers a package to try and entice them into using your company’s products or services. This could come in the form of letters, brochures and postcards as well as printed flyers and leaflets. While this can seem old-fashioned, research from The Direct Marketing Association found that direct mail averaged a 4.4 per cent response rate, compared to email’s average response rate of 0.12 per cent.

Why is direct mail still useful?

Direct mail is still a useful marketing strategy even if its usage has declined. For a start, direct mail can stand out from online marketing campaigns. Physical packages can be more interactive and exciting to receive – a bright letter is more memorable than a flashy email. At the same time, direct mail also leaves a longer impression. Physical packages last longer and might sit in someone’s home for weeks before it’s thrown out. This added longevity can help make your budget work harder for you. What’s more, by combining modern analytics techniques with direct mail, you can fine-tune your marketing approach. This strategy can help you reach wider, more specialised demographics who are going to be more interested in your services.

How to make your strategy effective

Before you begin direct mail marketing, it’s important to plan for ways in which to make your strategy effective. One option is to define your goals and objectives. Once you’ve worked out what you want from your campaign, you can craft your message accordingly.

The next step is to work out who you want to reach with your campaign. Reaching new demographics is an important way for you to grow your business, but it’s also crucial to reach out to repeat customers with your marketing material. By retaining their loyalty you’ll be able to maintain strong cash flow.

To be effective, you’ll also need to be creative with your direct mail. Make sure that your message is exciting and engaging, then combine it with a vibrant colour scheme. The more memorable and unique your direct mail is, the more likely it’ll be to get noticed.

Direct mail marketing can boost any business – but it needs to be executed carefully. By following the advice above, you should be all set to plan and coordinate a successful direct mail marketing campaign.