3 Direct Mail Tips for Digital Marketers
It’s probably an understatement to say that most marketing teams put more focus and energy into their digital campaigns. And why shouldn’t they? Most of their intended audience spends hours a day online, either surfing the web, checking social media, or sifting through emails. However, marketers that focus solely on the digital aspect and forget about the age-old practice of direct mail are missing a substantial opportunity to connect with their consumers.
Below are 3 tips for digital marketers that may fit into the category of those not giving direct mail campaigns their due. Digital marketers that take heed to these tips and learn to utilize both marketing formats will see a substantial increase in their bottom-line and end goal.
- Recognize the Importance of Direct Mail
The first tip for digital marketers is to recognize the importance of direct mail and how it can contribute to the success of a digital marketing campaign as well. To drive this point home, here are some stats:
- Direct mail has the third highest median ROI, behind email and social media marketing (only 1 percentage point behind social media).
- Direct mail pulls a higher response rate than any digital direct marketing medium.
- Direct mail is the second-most used medium (57%), tied with social media.
- Approximately four in ten people look forward to checking their mail every day.
- 76% of consumers say they trust direct mail over digital channels when making a purchase.
These are just a few of the many reasons that direct mail marketers should recognize the importance of direct mail in their campaigns. Although more traditional and considered “snail mail” by most of the population today, it’s still an incredibly effective and efficient way of reaching your intended consumers.
- Integrate Direct and Digital
Now that we’ve hopefully convinced you of its significance, the second tip is to understand that it’s not a “this vs. that”. Think of direct mail and digital marketing as more of a partnership. Each must give and take, but when they function properly together, they’re unstoppable.
A few of the best ways to integrate the two mediums is through display ads, social media ads, or email. For example, you can match your direct mail data file to an IP address file, then target specific consumers on your list. Similarly, you can match your direct file to Facebook. Increasing your exposure to consumers and prospects by using direct mail and digital aspects in tandem will increase response rates, and in turn, profit margins.
- Don’t Ignore Data
Believe it or not, direct mail is one of the most effective methods for gathering important data on current and prospective consumers. Marketing teams can measure the response rate from direct mail campaigns through a number of sources, ranging from standard call-tracking to trackable URLs to coupon or QR codes. This tracking can eventually be put into categories and overtime a substantial database is being developed.
Before these data-collecting tools are implemented, however, marketers should develop a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will show how well a campaign is reaching set goals. KPIs such as response rates, conversion rates, average order size, ROI or cost per acquisition are some of the most effective KPIs for direct mail.
The best marketing strategies not only recognize the importance of direct mail, but understand how to effectively make direct mail work together with a digital marketing strategy. Once your team understands the importance of these two mediums, use the large amount of data that will come from them and tailor your strategies accordingly.
