Everybody likes to get mail in their letter boxes; it’s the thrill of recognition and of the unknown. It is proof that someone cares enough to send something directly to your address. There’s a reason why companies are still using direct mail marketing – it works. Even those annoying flyers that get dropped off on your doorstep are proven marketing techniques. The consumer is generally willing to open an envelope, especially if it arrives as part of something intriguing. Here are five ways to use direct mail marketing to increase your business.
Build a Target list
A target mailing list contains the group of people that you want to reach out to as a business or generated as part of your current customer base. The list is different for each industry, though obviously, there may be an overlap. This mailing list can be based on demographics of location, age or consumer history. Your first step is to figure out who you want to reach out to with direct mail.
Research
Direct mail marketing can provide your business with information about the customer base. Every time a point of purchase requests personal information such as a postal code, address, or email, that chain is in possession of data about an individual. They know what you buy, how often you shop, and even information about your location at the time of purchase. There is a plethora of data that allow analysts to predict trends. They can predict, based on a buyer’s history, what appeals to a buyer and when their pitch is likely to be the most effective. That business can then tailor advertising directly to their consumers.
Try a Test Sample
With all of the research completed, it is time to use direct mail marketing in your business to reach out directly to consumers. Create a mailing piece with a definitive call to action. This might be a start-up event, launch party or just a sample that you want potential customers to try at home. Your goal is to provoke a response. Include a sign-up sheet or return a piece of mail that says the customer received your product. Direct interaction with customers is positive. It generates conversation and a return on your investment.
Right Place, Right Time
According to most direct-mail gurus, 40 percent of a mail piece’s impact comes from sending it to the right list in the first place, 40 percent comes from the value of the offer and 20 percent comes from the design or writing of the piece. That’s the justification for all the work that went into the preliminaries of building the list, researching the demographics and creating the call to action. Using direct mail marketing in your business through iti Direct Mail will pay off in the long run.