Every company, from corporations to small businesses, needs a marketing strategy to boost brand exposure and reach out to new clients. While digital marketing has unquestionably widened the reach of advertisement and sales campaigns, there are still countless reasons you should be considering direct mail marketing.
By “direct mail,” we do mean hand-delivered postcards, envelopes, brochures, and many other options sent directly through the mail. This method may seem out of date at first, which is why we are going to dedicate some time and unpack how you can reach a new audience with effective direct mail marketing techniques.
3 Great Ways to Mail Your Marketing Materials
Before we discuss the different print options you can mail out and marketing strategies you can utilize, it’s important to discuss how you are going to mail them out. While licking stamps and heading down to the post office is always an option, we think there are a few better options you should be aware of.
Whether you are gathering a list of specific ZIP codes, sending out information to general local areas, or looking to have advertisements or invitations sent to specific people, there are a variety of options at your disposal. The goal with direct mail isn’t to select one type that works for you, it’s to understand when each mailing technique is appropriate for your different marketing strategies.
- Direct Mail Marketing: Direct mail marketing can allow you to save time and money by reaching thousands of eligible potential clients at once. By specifically targeting key demographics like age, gender, or income, direct mail allows you to get a better return on your initial marketing investments. Unlike mass online marketing, direct mail can also guarantee a higher delivery rate, as you are choosing who and where you are sending your advertisements. At GotPrint, we offer several different marketing packages that vary based on the size of your business, the range of mailing destinations, and your desired mailing volume.
- Direct Mail Services: This style of direct marketing allows you to have custom-made postcards, brochures, or letterheads mailed out to a specific mailing list that you’ve created. First, you will need to select your chosen mail specifications. Marketing materials like postcards for instance come in a range of sizes including 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 5.5″ x 8.5″, and 6″ x 11 inches, and often have paper stock options such as 14 point gloss or 16 pt. matte. You will also need to decide how many printed pieces are going to be sent out, 500 quantity is the minimum for GotPrint mailing services. Next, you’ll select to have your marketing materials manually processed before uploading your files. The final step for using mailing services is to provide your desired mailing list via email. We’ll contact you with full details about mailing costs and types and won’t charge you until we’re ready to begin printing.
- Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM): With no mailing list required and at a fraction of the cost of standard bulk mail, GotPrint’s EDDM system is a great way to target neighborhoods by income or household size with a custom-designed postcard. First, you’ll need to select your product options, file delivery type, and delivery zip codes. Don’t worry though, we have an EDDM map tool to help you along the way. Next, you need to make sure your design meets all printing and mailing requirements. We provide our EDDM® Mailing Template downloads so you can easily follow our design instructions before submitting any files. Finally, we will generate your postage, bundle your postcards, and deliver them to the local post office in your chosen delivery area.
You also have the option to have the printed materials delivered directly to you so you can mail them yourself if you would prefer.
4 Effective Methods for Promoting Your Business with Direct Mail
As you continue to develop your own marketing materials and plan to have them printed and shipped out, it is important to first develop a marketing campaign strategy. If you are taking the time, spending the money, and putting in the effort to reach out to specific addresses for your business, making sure your advertisements will be as effective as possible is well worth the extra work.
Thankfully, we also have some guidance for you on that front. These are several other benefits you can utilize when marketing with direct mail options:
1. Design a Unique Ad that Highlights Your Services & Products
The first challenge for direct mailing is to develop marketing that is as comprehensive and effective as the online options. You need to make sure that whatever flyer or postcard you design makes it clear who you are, what you’re selling, why it’s what they need, and how they can get it. Every step needs to be spelled out because following up with direct mail can be significantly more difficult.
The printed materials you design should include your information, branding, a call to action, and maybe even a discount. Including a QR code that takes people to your website can also be helpful, minimizing the chance that your advertising stops when they put down your flyer. At GotPrint, our online design tool allows users to upload logos, photos, branding slogans, important information, or other text.
The Key Parts of an Effective Mailer
- Clear Title and Memorable Branding
- Eye-catching Photograph, Image, or Logo
- Short and Concise Description of Business and Services
- Provide Next Steps for Customers
- A Promotion or discount is a Great Way to Leverage Direct Mail
- QR Codes are a Simple and Effective Way to Connect Your Audience Back to Your Business
2. Send Mail Personalized to a Client or Area
One of the strongest ways to connect with prospective clients is to make them feel special. Personalizing your marketing methods for your customers will show them that you understand their needs and make them more likely to become lifelong customers.
This can be done by writing marketing materials that call out specific local areas or aiming advertisements at common niches or subcultures in the area that appeal to your industry. A piece of physical mail that specifically calls out an area of town or special interest in your customer’s life is an incredible tool for bridging the gap between business and consumer.
This is also where the previously mentioned mailing services come back into play. If you are going to utilize EDDM for instance, your marketing content should be personalized to the area you mailing it to, but going much more specific than that makes it harder to utilize the wide range that Every Door Direct Mail can have. In comparison, our classic direct Mail Services and Direct Mail Marketing options allow for more specific ZIP codes or even specific address listings.
3. Offer a Mailer Specific Promotion or Discount
We mentioned offering a discount earlier. While an offer code is nothing revolutionary, there are features to direct mail that make this a powerful and unique marketing tool. The discount you send to a specific clientele or zip code is only available to those within that area. This allows you to learn more about what your customers want while also advertising to them.
Designing a unique postcard with an included discount offer can also help you keep track of the sales from that campaign, making it easier to determine whether your marketing efforts were successful. You can also send out two different sets of direct mail with different promo codes or offers to test which one has the best results. Commonly referred to as, “A/B Testing,” this technique over time can lead to not only stronger discount offers but stronger marketing copy and brand voice as well.
4. Announce a New Product Launch, Grand Opening, or Local Event
Depending on your industry direct mail can also be a powerful tool for announcing product launches, grand openings, or other services that are timely and local to your area. Direct mail lets you put all your important information in one place and get it out to the people it impacts the most. Whether you want to send out invitations to get people in the door or let people know about a new service or product you’ve added to your business, making sure the clients in your area know first will help generate grassroots marketing via word of mouth.
Grand openings or big announcements are great opportunities for our Every Door Direct Mail service. This system of advertising allows you to target specific ZIP codes in ideal neighborhoods. Being able to pinpoint where your customers are coming from and who is most likely to visit your business can be incredibly beneficial. This is because while direct mail marketing has many different uses, using it to promote local in-person events will always be an effective strategy.
It Doesn’t End at Direct Mail Marketing
The final step of direct mail marketing is aligning your direct mail campaigns with your online email campaigns, ads, and social media promotions. Using similar images, color schemes, graphics, and marketing text helps create the cohesive marketing experience that your customers are looking for. It builds brand awareness and helps customers recognize your company regardless of whether it is in their literal mailbox, digital mailbox, social media feed, or homepage.
As you begin designing your direct mail, remember that the most important part of an effective ad campaign is consistency. Marketing is all about momentum, so keep sending letters. Whether you are in real estate, construction, automotive mechanics, beauty, retail, or even public works – a constant direct mail marketing strategy can be just what you need to promote your business to the right communities and recipients, wherever they are.