Direct Mail Strategies for Today

Direct mail strategies not only still work, but when combined with your online efforts, can make for some very powerful marketing. A Channel Preference Study by Exact Target showed that direct mail influences 76% of Internet users to purchase a product or service online.¹ So, here are some tips for creating effective direct mail strategies for today’s online driven world.

1. Your Direct Mail List¹

For any direct mail campaign to be effective, the priority is a great mailing list that is honed and segmented so you can concentrate on a select audience. When you’ve done the work on your list well, you’ll have an audience with something specific in common – are they all start-up businesses? Or better yet, are they all start-up ecommerce businesses created by mompreneurs?

2. Your Direct Mail Message²

The more narrowly you’ve defined your mailing list, the more relevant your specific message can be. Speak directly to your targeted audience in a way that is most likely to engage them and get them to respond. And, maybe it goes without saying, but make sure you are presenting them with a strong enticing offer.

3. Send them to a Specific Landing Page with Easy URL¹

Since readers can’t click directly to a landing page from your direct mail piece, make sure you set up your page so it’s an easy URL to type without mistakes. It’s much more effective to have a specific landing page set up for your offer rather than sending readers to a generic page.

4. Call to Action with Deadline¹

Give a clear and present deadline so readers have the impulse to act now rather than stuff your postcard in a drawer and wait until later – which may never come. Also, people respond better when you give them specifics on what to do. For example, “Please go to our awesome landingpage.com by this date to fill out our short survey and claim your 50% discount coupon.”

5. Use Direct Mail to Start the Conversation¹

The overall goal of any type of marketing is usually to create lifetime customers because a one-time customer has low value for money spent. This means when first-timers come to your site from a direct mail piece you should use the opportunity to get, at the very least, their email address and maybe additional information.
One of the great things about direct mail is that it’s been around for decades so there are proven strategies you can use. And uniting direct mail strategies with new online techniques makes a potent combination.

Resources

1. How to Use Direct Mail to Drive Targeted Website Traffic
2. Direct Mail & Postcard Marketing Strategies