Direct mail sometimes gets a bad reputation – the name ‘junk mail’ is not unjustified. However, it doesn’t have to be like that. If used correctly, it can be an excellent tool to both find new customers and generate more sales from existing ones.
So how do you do it correctly?
Use the following guidelines to help when developing campaigns.
Data
The mailing list is crucial. Contacting the wrong people is a huge waste of money and creates a bad reputation. You can buy in lists of potential purchasers or people who meet certain attributes which you feel may indicate likely purchase intentions, e.g. age, income or occupation.
Whether you buy in a list or use your own, it needs to be ‘clean’. That means names and addresses up-to-date with deceased and those who have moved home excluded. Also check the age groups or market sectors you are mailing to – the under 25s are generally not interested in life insurance and the over 70s are generally not interested in rock climbing weekends.
The UK has suppression lists of those people who have specifically requested not to receive mail from companies who they do not currently deal with. Details are available from the Mailing Preference Service.
Creative
You need to send something to the recipients, known as the creative. Read more about this in More Creative Direct Mail.
Production
Sending a direct mail pack can actually be quite complex and time consuming. At the most basic level, printing, signing and then inserting 200 letters into envelopes will take some time. A mail merge will also be needed, to transfer your list of names to the letters prior to printing them.
If you want to use personalisation or large volumes it can become very complex indeed. Imagine a mailing to 15,000 people where you had produced slightly different letters and leaflets for several groups within the list, perhaps based on age or where they live. There needs to be a system to highlight the different groups and then ensure the members of those groups get the right items.
If your mailing is complex or large you would be well advised to seek the services of a mailing house, lettershop or printer specialising in mailings.
The Secrets of Success
The UK’s Direct Mail Information Service produces an annual survey into the direct mail industry which provide some extremely useful pointers on how to make it more effective. For example, successful mailings are more likely to;
- Have used a customer database or high quality purchased data.
- Contain a call to action to obtain information, e.g. telephone number or website, than expect the purchaser to buy directly from the mailing.
- Have a strong creative approach.
- Look highly professional.
- Be integrated with other marketing activity, e.g. adverts or website.
However, one of the key secrets to successful direct mail is testing and continuous improvement. Read more about how to do this in Generate More Business by Testing.
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