Double Whammy: Reverse IP and Direct Mail
Although it may be argued by many, direct mail continues to not only be a powerful marketing tool for effectively reaching customers and bring them to action, it’s also outperforming digital ads in a number of ways. Recent studies are showing the positive effects direct mail has on cognitive recognition of consumers, and statistics continue to prove it’s ROI and response rate exceed digital ads.
The one problem, however, is that with the great migration to digital-based formats for seemingly everything in our lives, it can be difficult to determine physical addresses in order to send this direct mail. This is where reverse IP, or IP targeting, comes in. And the combination of reverse IP and direct mail provide a significant arsenal for marketers and advertisers.
What is Reverse IP?
Although it may sound complicated at the outset, reverse IP is actually a fairly simple concept. It goes like this: when a consumer visits a website, their IP address is logged by that site. Reverse IP essentially captures that IP address, and with that information you are able to determine the physical address of the users. And when you have the physical address, voilà! Direct mail can then flow.
One of the main appeals of this type of advertisement targeting is that the ads will only be seen by households on your mailing list. You’re not paying for impressions and click-throughs of people you don’t want to reach (or that don’t have some interest in your information/product). Moreover, because it’s not cookie-based, it’s not blocked or deleted by filters.
What is Needed When Combining Reverse IP and Digital Mail?
Reverse IP can bring the location-specific accuracy that comes with direct mail to multi-impression digital advertising. And while the idea of how it works is simple, there are several components that are needed to ensure a successful interplay between reverse IP and direct mail. These components include,
- An accurate mailing list of consumers
- A compelling call-to-action for your audience
- Content that is attention-grabbing
- A landing page that is simple, direct and easy to find
- A defined conversion path
- Post-campaign data that is both current and accurate
A few of these components should already be available for advertisers with current direct mail campaigns, including an accurate mailing list and post-campaign data. However, many of these will be new for those that are just starting their reverse IP schemes.
By creating attention-grabbing content you will bring consumers to your page, while a call-to-action will force them to act. A defined conversion path will then allow you to convert an action into collection of an IP address, and subsequent physical address.
What are the Benefits of this Duo?
By delivering mail to hyper-targeted audiences the likelihood that prospects will take notice increases substantially. In addition to this exposure to audiences that you know have at least a notion of your brand or your product, there are also two main benefits that businesses will recognize: increased brand awareness and an escalation in customer acquisition.
By using reverse IP and direct mail you can target key customer segments that may not have otherwise been targeted. By attracting interested users to your site, they will notice your brand when they click to view the site, while reviewing your site and surfing the web, and finally when that postcard arrives in the mail. This boosts brand awareness, and ultimately will boost direct mail response rates. In fact, campaigns using reverse IP and direct mail have seen average response rates increase between 30% and 70%, with some seeing as much as a 200% increase.
Moreover, reverse IP and direct mail together are a perfect pair for increasing customer acquisition. By matching your database with the IP and demographic data of a specified audience, you can deliver relevant ads to not only the exact audience you’re aiming to reach, but you can also create “look-a-like” audiences that may not even be aware of their interest. By reaching a new consumer base, you can increase customer acquisition and sales.
