Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns: What are they and do they work?

There are many facets of marketing (a necessary part of the success of any business) and a load of buzzwords that go along with it and those can get confusing. There are lead magnets, blog posts, email sequences, email campaigns, and also print campaigns all geared towards creating a sales funnel and enticing a prospect to become a customer. Although all of these aspects are important, a direct mail campaign is often a forgotten but integral part of any marketing campaign. Learn more about print marketing and if it works in this post.

What the heck is a direct marketing campaign?

We are digital people living in a digital world. We have indeed become increasingly digitized to the point where we may not even consider the importance of a mailed campaign. 

A direct mail campaign is a mixture of print pieces that are sent out to clients and prospects. Your campaign can include postcards, door hangers, magnets, calendars, holiday cards and newsletters just to name a few. 

Remember: A direct mail marketing campaign doesn’t have to break the bank either. Thanks to USPS’s marketing mail (also known as bulk mail standard) postage drops from 55 cents to 31 cents if you have 200 or more mail pieces.

You can either contact your local post office to find out what that process entails, or, we offer printing and mailing services if you would like this done for you instead. 

How can I tell if a direct mail campaign even works?

It is true that a print mail campaign uses up more of your marketing dollars than a digitized campaign. If you aren’t including a call to action or a specific reason for your reader to reach out, it also can be hard to track because you don’t have the same reporting that an online campaign can yield. 

What is worth knowing is that print mail has more memorable staying power than digital advertising. To read about some stats that USPS took in 2020, visit this post Shocking Statistics About Marketing During COVID-19.

Although it may seem like a small drop of water in a vast ocean, including a direct mail campaign enables you to get your message in front of eyeballs with less competition than an email that may be ignored or may not land in inboxes. 

How can you make sure your mail campaign works for you? 

Follow these 4 quick tips to make sure that your mail campaign works for you (and you know it is being seen):

  1. Include a quiz or contest on the print piece only (don’t include it on other campaigns or other marketing pieces) so you can track the reply emails and phone calls from that particular print piece. Don’t forget to include your email address and phone number!
  2. One and done won’t work. Whatever print path you embark on, make sure to send more than just once. As expensive as print may seem, you would be wasting more money sending once compared to sending consistently. Experts (including us) recommend at least six months to a year at a consistent cycle for your name, brand, face to stick in your prospects mind.This is why we have launched our Club 200 and Club 300 loyalty programs so that you get 20% off  or 15% off respectively for as long as you continue to print consistently.
  3. Personalize, personalize, personalize. Make sure to add in a message or something relevant to your reader. This could be a neighborhood statistics, using their name in a note, greeting cards, a special promotion or a handwritten note.
  4. Don’t forget your contact information. If they can’t reach out to you, you’ve wasted your time and energy. Make sure to include your contact information as well as a call to action to entice people to pick up the phone or write that email to you. 

For more print tips, check out this Don’t Make these 6 Postcard Mailer Marketing Mistakes post.

Newsletters are what we do and we can help create a consistent direct mail marketing plan for you so you can avoid the headache of getting a bulk mail insignia, scrubbing your list, prepping your proof, mailing and so much more.

Pick a time to talk about your goals and to learn more about what programs are available for your size database.