Using Coupons with Direct Mail
Do you want higher response rates with your direct mail campaigns? If so, the pros at Pel Hughes strongly encourage you to use coupons with direct mail to incentivize consumer action. Using coupons with direct mail has always been a great way to elicit a response from your campaign’s recipients but now with record levels of inflation and reduced consumer spending, utilizing coupons may be the very thing you need to keep revenue coming in at healthy levels.
The Effects of Inflation and Reduced Spending on Businesses
Inflation is driving up costs for consumers and businesses alike. For the consumer, their purchasing power has dipped to record levels. This means customers are hypervigilant with every dollar they spend, are able to buy less than before, and anxious about making ends meet.
For businesses, many enterprises are laying off their workforce, reducing their budgets, and considering scaling back on marketing in an effort to ride out the storm. While constraining spending is a wise move, taking a hands-off approach to marketing could leave businesses in the lurch when the economy takes a more positive turn. One way you can invigorate sales is to ensure that you use coupons with direct mail campaigns to get the most bang for your buck.
The Power of Coupons with Direct Mail
When money is tight for consumers, coupons can help them justify their purchases. Moreover, consumer loyalty is less predictable in times of economic hardship. In many instances, a consumer will shop for the best deal and abandon previous loyalties to certain brands and businesses in favor of perceived savings. This means, using coupons with direct mail could attract customers who are new to your products and services. If you can offer a comparable product or service along with ensuring they have a great customer experience, you could also earn a long-term relationship with new consumers.
Maintaining marketing during a recession offers a competitive advantage against other businesses who are tightening their budgets. According to research conducted by McGraw Hill, businesses who maintained (or increased) their marketing efforts during the 1981-1982 recession saw over 250% growth compared to businesses who constrained their marketing and advertising efforts during this time.
Tips for Coupons in Direct Mail
Coupons should be incentivizing a purchase. This means the discount must be significant enough to warrant action from a money-conscious consumer. All kinds of businesses from service-based enterprises like dry cleaning and home maintenance to restaurants and dental clinics can benefit from using coupon-based incentives. The trick is offering a big enough discount to spurn action without hurting your bottom line.
Now that digital shopping is here to stay, it’s important that coupons can be used online and in person. Using QR codes is a great way to ensure that coupons offered in direct mail can be used in brick-and-mortar locations as well as online. These types of coupons are popular, too—in fact, over 5 billion QR coupons were redeemed last year.
How Pel Hughes Can Help
Pel Hughes is a full-service printing company that employs modern solutions to enhance the effectiveness of direct mail. Our team of experts has access to reliable and accurate consumer databases that can help your business send targeted direct mail to consumers who are most likely to make purchases with your brand. We also offer campaign automation, database services, graphic design, and cross media marketing. Give our friendly team a call today at (504) 486-8646 or request a quote online.
