5 Ways to Improve Your Direct Mail Campaign

5 Ways to Improve Your Direct Mail Campaign - pel hughes print marketing new orleans la

A strong and efficient direct mail marketing campaign can be one of the most useful ways for businesses to reach consumers and increase brand awareness. It can also be one of the most challenging methods to perfect. With the many variables that go into direct mail campaigns, determining which work and which don’t can be overwhelming. 

Below are five proven ways that you can improve your direct mail campaign. If followed, these tips can help you put your marketing on track and recognize an immediate increase in your ROI. 

  • Refine Your Customer Database

An up-to-date and accurate customer list is the foundation of any successful marketing campaign. This is especially true with direct mail campaigns where you want to minimize postage and related costs as much as possible. 

A current and accurate list makes it easy to identify cross-sell and upsell opportunities, and provides an opportunity to call your customers to action. This drive to act can also reveal how your customers have shopped in the last and you can tailor custom messages to each recipient. However, all of this is lost if you are sending direct mail to an uninterested individual or a non-existent address. 

  • Take Advantage of Data

In line with tracking customers and keeping your customer list current, take advantage of the many opportunities available gather customer data. Your database provides vital insights into your customers buying habits. Look for patterns or consistencies in this buying behavior and use it to your advantage. 

Moreover, by providing a QR code or trackable web address on a piece of digital mail, you can begin recording data on which customers are acting on your direct mail campaign and which may be better suited to receive different marketing material. 

  • Integrate Marketing Channels 

A common mistake among many businesses is focusing on one campaign strategy. Your direct mail tactic should be integrated with your digital strategies, such as email campaigns. In fact, marketing strategies that incorporate both a strong direct mail scheme and one or more digital experiences can see an increase in their response rate of up to 118%.

By planning your direct mail campaigns to be delivered around the same time your email campaign arrives in your customer’s inbox, you can provide them with multiple ways of responding, and in turn, increase the overall number of customers that will act. 

  • Set Your Campaign Apart 

Getting creative can be one of the most difficult aspects when it comes to direct mail. However, remember that your marketing material is a representation of you and your business. Just like the product you sell or the service you provide, it stands out from all the rest – make this show through your direct mail campaign. 

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get a little creative with your mail. Try ditching the white envelopes with standard lettering that likely get mistaken for a utility bill. Catch your customer’s eye and make them want to open your mail. 

  • Personalize & Follow Up

As with most aspects of marketing, personalizing your message can be the difference between your customer acting on your message, or throwing your mail in the garbage. Adding a personalized touch to your mail, such as remembering a birthday or referencing a past purchase, can be crucial to the success of your direct mail campaign. You can also take advantage of consumer data in this area as well. 

Follow-up messages also show your customer that they’re not just another sale. Follow-up with a thank you message accompanied with another call to action and see your ROI rise. 

Direct mail marketing campaigns are one of the best and most effective tools in a company’s marketing tool belt. By integrating your direct mail campaign with another digital media outlet, and using data to make your messages personal and original, you will immediately see why direct mail still reigns as king in the marketing world.