How To Run A Successful Direct Mail Campaign In The Digital Age
by Sparky Parker
Are you caught up in the frenzy of online marketing in the new digital age? There's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for starters. All of them devour content and are rapacious in their demand. You might be wondering if there is a better way.
The truth is that just because there is new media for marketing, it does not have to mean that the old ways no longer work. In fact, a direct mail campaign is still more effective than most people realize. However, just like any other type of marketing plan, doing it right takes expertise. Here are some tips for running an effective direct mail campaign that really works in this new digital age of advertising.
Get To Know Your Target Audience
Direct mail provides an opportunity for personal contact that just cannot be topped. However, because of postal price increases and the cost of printing, you will really need to understand who is most likely to become one of your future valued customers. Start by investigating where your best customers live, how large your market is in a selected geographic area, and delve into some of their key characteristics.
Ask yourself these types of questions: What age range do my most valuable customers fall into? Are they predominantly male or female? How long have they resided in their homes on average? What is their average and median income level?
Build Your Mailing List
In the past, direct mail campaigns blanketed a geographic area. No matter how ill-suited someone was to become a potential customer of a business, if they lived in a certain region, they got a piece of mail. That has all changed now. Targeted mailing lists based on the criteria listed above must be developed to create the mailing list.
These targeted lists are the primary reason that direct mail campaigns are so successful. The lists can be costly, but you will be getting the names and addresses of people specifically interested in purchasing green products or buying baby products or who love sports. When a piece of personalized mail is sent to someone who is most likely to be interested in the products or services that you sell, that recipient becomes a qualified lead and, qualified leads are your best bet for future sales.
Select The Type Of Mailing List That Suits Your Needs
It is time to get down and dirty if you want your direct mail campaign to be successful. Specialty lists allow you to identify your most likely future customers. They are based upon public information about people who have just become parents or who have purchased a new home or entered into a mortgage.
You can also refine those lists by drilling down even further to eliminate contacts from your list who do not meet certain criteria. Do the folks on your list fall into your preferred age category or income level? If they don't, then remove them and move on to the next entry.
Finally, you can purchase a cloned list which is based on criteria from your existing customer base. Research the characteristics of people with whom you are already doing business and get a list of similar people. Once you have selected your list, you can develop the marketing materials and send out your mail.
Direct mail campaigns remain effective, which is surprising to many business owners and managers. Real mail delivered to a prospective customer's mailbox has a powerful effect when the mailing list is carefully selected. Don't be surprised when your business is flooded with calls after you try marketing using the direct mail method.
Sparky Parker has over 35 years of related experience in marketing, internet sales and engineering. He owns and operates FrontRangeMarketeer.com, which helps local businesses generate more leads and attract new customers.