Out of all the marketing channels available today, direct mail still offers one of the highest response rates, especially when your DM campaign is being sent to a highly targeted audience. Here are a few tips on creating a successful direct mail program:
Focus on the list
Did you know the list is 60% responsible for the success of your mailing?
Obviously, you want to send your communications to the right people at the right place at the right time. In other words, if you are a financial institute offering home equity loans, you would want your list to be compiled using criteria such as homeownership, age, income, loan-to-value, and geographic location. That certainly narrows down your list, and there are ways to get even more targeted.
One way to do this is through using a propensity-targeted mailing list. These lists are built using propensity modeling, which match customer characteristics with their anticipated behaviors—what action the customer might take. Propensity modeling also considers buying habits and other things customers do like participating in surveys, signing up for loyalty programs, opening emails from marketers, and so on.
A propensity-targeted mailing is not a magic crystal ball, but the result of science and technology predicting who is most likely to respond to your offer.
Feature a great offer
Whether you’re offering a free gift or a product discount, the offer is crucial to your success. Here are some ideas:
- Buy one get one free
- Give a percentage off
- Offer a free trial period
- Give away a free white paper or an invitation to a webinar
Use strong creative
How your direct mail piece looks makes all the difference. It determines whether the recipient is going to open the carrier or drop it in the recycling bin.
- Start selling from the outside of the package.
- Make the offer clear.
- Keep selling the offer on the inside.
- Include a strong call to action and a deadline to create a sense of urgency prompt the recipient to act.
- Make responding easy—information like the phone number and web address should be immediately visible.
Other things to consider for your direct mail program
Direct mail programs have a lot of pieces and parts to consider. So as you build a successful campaign, you might want to consider these questions too:
- How to qualify the mail: first class versus standard class
- Postal logistics
- Using personalization
- Tracking responses
EdgeMark Partners can help you with everything from obtaining a propensity-targeted mailing list to creating a winning mail package. To find out more about EdgeMark, contact us today.
