Here’s a short list of ideas to kick your next direct mail campaign into high gear.

1.  Use branded postcards.

If promoting your brand is a campaign goal, then nothing beats a branded postcard.  With no envelope to stand in the way of getting eyes on your logo and your message, the postcard is ideal.

Postcards work especially well when you have a well-established social media campaign going.  Even people who merely glance at your postcard as they sort their mail will have seen your brand.

Then if you catch them again with your social media marketing, you are reinforcing the idea of your brand rather than simply introducing it.

2.  Connect your direct mail marketing ideas to your Web presence.

You’re sending snail mail, but if you tie it to the digital realm you’ll see an exponentially higher ROI.  Got emails?  Use them with your direct mail campaign, timing their delivery to occur as close as you can to the same day.

When people see your mail the same day they get your email, you have made a nice impression that is bound to plant your message firmly in the minds of at least some of your target audience.

3. Tie your campaign to a separate, timed event.

Nothing tops the effectiveness of a one-two punch.  One of the most compelling direct mail marketing ideas is to time your mailing so it coincides with a separate event.

That event could be something that is newsworthy, like the election.  Mention something in your mailing that connects the reader to something he may already have on his mind, and it’s more likely that you’ve piqued his interest.

4.  Tap into “FOMO” with a save-the-date postcard.

Printing “save the date” on a postcard causes an automatic response in most people: “what’s going on?!”  Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) will take over so they won’t be able to resist reading the rest of the card.

But as direct mail marketing ideas go, this one requires some additional maneuvering because you’ll need to have an actual event to announce!

5.  Tap into wanderlust with a travel postcard.

Another postcard idea for you: tap into the desire to be “anyplace but here” with a postcard that looks as if a friend who is traveling sent it.

Gorgeous travel photos stimulate our sense of discovery, lift us out of our present scene, and entice us to take risks.  You don’t have to be in the travel industry for these travel-related direct mail marketing ideas to work.

6.  Make them feel special: include a unique code.

When you include something in your mailing that is unique to each recipient, you are accomplishing two important marketing tasks.

1. You are adding to perceived value of your mailing because you are giving the recipient something that cannot be shared, and which can bring value (a discount, for example).
2. When people use their unique codes to do whatever your call to action directs them to do (visit your website, place an order with the coupon code, call to use the code etc.), you are receiving invaluable marketing data that you can use to track the success of your campaign.

We’re here to help you.

Hopefully you’ve found a few direct mail marketing ideas that work for you.  But if these ideas don’t help, and you still need some direction with your marketing campaign, leave a comment or send us a note.  We would love to help!

*Source: Direct Marketing News.  Retrieved 3/23/2016 from http://www.dmnews.com/direct-mail/dma-direct-mail-response-rates-beat-digital/article/245780/

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Home Improvement Direct Mail Needs to be Attractive and Professional

You want your home improvement direct mail to make a favorable first impression. That means your mailer needs to be professional and extremely attractive to your recipient. If the item does not look professional, then this could cast doubt on the professionalism of your company. Professional mailers speak of the professionalism of your home improvement services as well.

Target New Homeowners in Your Local Area

New homeowners in your local area may offer a good way to expand your customer base. Many people need home repairs and improvement projects on a home that they have recently purchased. Some of these homeowners may not have a trusted company to handle this type of project. Reach out to new homeowners. You could really boost your schedule, and your bottom line.

Don’t Try to Fit All of Your Services on a Single Postcard

One of the biggest mistakes that is made with home improvement direct mail is trying to showcase too many services in a single mailer. Instead, consider successive mailers. Follow up your first mailer with additional mailers detailing one or two services that you offer. This method will usually give you a better response, and more new customers.

Determine Your Ideal Customer Profile Before You Do Anything Else

Before you start the design of your home improvement direct mail, always determine your ideal customer profile. When you know exactly who you are trying to reach, your campaign will be more successful. The profile should include all possible factors. This way, you can target your recipients with better precision, and get a better return on the investment that you are making.

Identify Important Demographics for Mailing Lists

The lists that you use to mail out your home improvement direct mail are a key factor in your campaign success or failure. Identify the important demographics of your ideal customers first. Next, make sure that the mailing lists reflect these priorities. Some brokers may try to pass off outdated or irrelevant lists in order to make a buck. Do your research when it comes to mailing lists.

Pick the Right Type of Mailer for Your Campaign

There are many different types of mailers that you can choose from. Some examples would be postcards, flyers, newsletters, booklets, brochures, catalogs, business cards, posters, and other options. Before you can start the design and printing process, know what type of mailer you will be using. Exceptional mailers are created by great planning and choosing the right fit for your business.

Consider EDDM, but Know the Requirements and Limitations

EDDM is every door direct mail. It can be a good way to get your home improvement direct mail delivered to every door in the specific neighborhoods or zip codes that you are targeting. EDDM offers many advantages. There are also some limitations and requirements. Be aware of both, so there are no sudden surprises and you can use EDDM to your utmost advantage.

Track Your Campaign in Every Way Possible

It is very important to track your mail campaign from start to finish. The data that you collect from this tracking can help you make adjustments when they are needed, so that you get better results. You can add a tracking code to each piece. Another option would be to set up a separate phone number that is only used for this campaign. Decide how you will track your campaign efforts, and then do it.

Make Your Mailer Interactive

QR codes can add a lot to home improvement direct mail. They make the piece interactive and allow the consumer to find additional information about you and your services. You can add a few survey questions, in order to get feedback from your recipients. Anything that makes the mailer interactive can help boost the engagement and response rates that you get.

Failing to Follow Up Could Cost You

Following up with consumers after a mail campaign can provide valuable information, as well as additional responses and conversions. When you follow up, you can determine which campaign aspects were successful. You can decide which elements could be changed for even better campaign results. This feedback can help you achieve greater success with your next campaign.

What home improvement direct mail tips have you used in the past? How effective were they?

The post Great Home Improvement Direct Mail With These Simple Tips appeared first on Catdi Printing.

But not to worry, that’s why I put this article here. You’ve got to get up and show your prospects what you’re made of. How will you do that? By getting back to the drawing board and seeing the cause of your failure. You are going to learn ten reasons your Direct mail campaign isn’t working. I am ready when you are. Let’s roll.

Let’s Talk Direct Mail

Firstly we look at the result of a campaign you run directly to your prospects. You know you got many return contacts but did your contacts buy from you? Even if you did sell some, did they convert to clients? Eighty-eight percent of clients want to be contacted by direct mail before a virtual introduction. It’s cool if they do buy from you, but if they don’t, that’s not good enough. And so, you need to learn the causes and effects of your failure. 

You run a campaign to get the attention of people who have never bought from you. That’s achieved with direct mail. You put a bunch of envelopes in the mail, and you ask people to respond to them. But this only works if people respond. So you ask a list of people you know to respond to them to learn things from them that you can use in your future designs. 

You know these people. You have a relationship with them, and the fact you know them means you can learn something from them, just like a friend would. No one likes a coffee house friend that leaves them hanging, and you understand that. 

The problem (the majority of the time) is the promised results. There has to be that promised result, and the campaign needs to deliver on that promise. Well, how is that promised result implemented? Well, as you can see in the article about maintaining your credibility and trustworthiness, it comes down to both different situations and a healthy mix of both. 

Here’s the lesson you learned from your poor performance. You banked on the fact that you implemented a campaign that promised results. But it never came through. Studies show that 58% of people will respond to offers from people they know. If you are one of them, your prospects may have responded to you by hitting the send button on that campaign. Is that what happened in your case? A lot of nothing, not even a thank you.

Great Offers

They also show you have to make sure your campaign has a visible offer in it. Something that sends a clear message to the recipient that buying from you is essential. The visual yield from the campaign should not be ignored if they responded. There is an endless supply of free brochures on the Internet, or you can spend a few dollars on printed copies. The campaign piece will tell your prospects how your company operates, including happy customers’ stories and testimonials. 

When a prospect opens this mailer, they believe they are about to get a great deal. The word “deal” is so intriguing, and this is an excellent example of word advertising. You want to deliver the goods for what this person hopes for entirely—nothing fancy on this sheet. Just simple shoutouts to show their support. That is how you get your users to get engaged by your company. That is what you can do in your marketing campaign: send a link with a download link at the end of your prospect’s email.

You want to find out more about them to become more loyal to your company by opting in for future opportunities. Some organizations even reward those who stay on their list. That persuasive method could be applied any time a customer comes to your organization. If you hired an effective direct mail campaign specialist to manage your copy, you would know this one.

Mingling Direct Mail With Current Media

Your prospects will open the email and click on it, thinking they will get a great deal. Then they will see the download link. After that, they will be on Facebook. And guess what, they’ll see the ad, too. Then they’ll see more exit marketing material, more free material, more ads, and maybe a call-to-action, which leads to more sales. It’s pretty simple. 

If you know how to make your prospect open, click, and buy, it will make all the difference in the world. That’s the truth. I’ll be honest, the posters and brochures looked good but were they any good? Of course, if you pull those off, your sales are still good. But nothing beats a combination of the two.

Some Take-Aways on Your Brand’s Website

When setting up a website, the first thing you need to do is check to make sure your content covers your prospect’s issues — don’t slap in some blog post and throw in some shiny graphics. It never works. 

You do not provide solutions for any of the problems and frustrations your customers have. So what you should do is help your prospects solve their problems. That is where you get back to the drawing board. The other reason websites don’t work is that they do not educate prospects on their issues. If your website can’t answer all the questions, you’ll have a pretty hard time getting success in any of your campaigns.

One of the ways you can reach more prospects is by paying attention to your website. First, ensure that you look at the other brands in your niche and study them to see what is being said and how they promote their services. Also, take a look at your slogan and ask yourself if it is clear. If not, change it. 

Learn the differences between you and other brands and how they are advertising and promoting themselves. Then, take a look at the video’s position and see if it promotes the business’s mission and vision.

Now that we’ve laid down the facts on doing a great direct mail campaign let’s look at why your drive is not working. Let’s continue.

1. Not Clear on the Target Market

It is crucial to know who your targets are when you are creating a direct mail campaign. The right people need to receive your marketing material, so you must make sure that you have the correct information for them. If you don’t send it to the right people, there’s a good chance it won’t reach its target audience. That makes it vital that you know who you want to send your mailers to.

2. The Format of Your Direct Mail Piece Is Not Appealing

Direct mail is a great way to gain attention and create brand recognition. It’s also an effective tool for generating leads. First, however, it’s essential to make the most of your mailing format. A great design will stand out in the clutter of other marketing materials.

What makes direct mail campaigns so effective? The most common direct mail formats encourage response. An oversized envelope, a business envelope, and a postcard are all well-known direct mail strategies that can effectively get people to respond.

3. You Are Targeting the Wrong Customer Base With Your Direct Mail Campaign

Too many people don’t think about their audience when launching a direct mail campaign. So don’t just throw your direct mail campaign out there. Direct mail campaigns aren’t for everyone, and they don’t work for everyone. It’s a big waste of money if you’re not targeting the right audience with the right offer.

4. Bad Timing

Timing is critical when it comes to direct mail. It is essential to choose a marketing campaign that coincides with a specific event, such as opening a new store, a seasonal sale, or an event tied in with your company’s mission statement.

Find a professional direct mail service provider that understands the power of timing. You must choose a reputable company with a well-tested direct mail process. Contacting them for information on upcoming events and marketing campaigns will help you get more out of your direct mail campaign.

5. The Offers Are Not Personalized

Did your mailer have a customized look and feel? Marketing campaigns in the past were traditionally low-tech and general in their appeal. That was when companies assumed that a generic message would appeal to a large number of customers, which would provide the best ROI. Unfortunately, the strategies that worked in the past are not practical today.

Consumers are more comfortable sharing their data and information than ever—and so should you! Collecting customer data and leveraging it to personalize communications is a smart move for brands. Customers want relevant, personalized messages from brands.

Almost half of the world’s consumers are willing to give their personal information to a trusted brand. A research study published in Forbes Magazine shows that nearly 85% of shoppers are more likely to buy something from an established company that cares about the customer’s experience. You have to care about your prospects by offering them real value. You have to make an effort.

Customers are willing to do their part, but brands have to take part as well. To make the best use of limited budgets, marketers need to look beyond traditional mailing lists and instead utilize data from their databases. The data enables them to manage their client base more effectively, reduce wastage and send more targeted mailings.

If you’re looking to create a more personal and unique experience, consider variable data printing. Variable data printing allows text, graphics, and images to be changed in real-time without stopping or slowing down the printing process. This type of communication gives customers a unique and personalized experience.

Eighty-eight percent of marketers say they’ve seen growth in conversion rates due to personalization. Of those, more than half reported higher conversions than the norm.

6. There’s No Clear Call to Action

The biggest reason most direct-mail campaigns fail is a lack of clarity. When it comes to any form of marketing, it’s essential to include a clear call to action. Without a clear call to action, you risk sending an entirely irrelevant message that will have no impact on your prospect’s decision to engage with you.

I guess you are asking if using a call to action in your direct mail campaigns is necessary. Well, it is. And that’s because your prospects are receiving hundreds of emails from other brands in your niche. Now leaving your campaign plain without telling your prospects what to do about what they just read is mean. We can, however, help you with that.

7. Incorrect Budget and Scale Of the Campaign

It is essential to understand your campaign goals and the scale of your direct mail program so that your campaign runs effectively. Many companies are offering direct mailing services, but you should choose one that can fulfill your needs.

Spend too little money on your direct mail campaign, and no one will respond. On the other hand, if you spend too much money running a campaign, you’ll waste valuable resources and not get the return on investment you’re looking for. It’s difficult to determine how much direct mail you can afford and the best scale for a campaign without experience.

8. Your Expectations Are Not Realistic

A direct mail marketing campaign is a significant investment. However, you should not expect to reap enormous rewards immediately. Research the average return on investment for a direct mail campaign and make sure your budget is sufficient to achieve that goal. Check out the chart below for a clear understanding.

It’s important to remember that it takes more than one direct mail piece to see results. You send multiple mailers to get customers’ attention and continue to post messages on your social feeds to get noticed, right? The same principle applies to direct mail: you must continue communicating your message by sending and sharing direct mail pieces that stay fresh and relevant with customers over time.

9. No Follow-up Plan For Leads Generated From the Campaign

Your direct mail campaign may effectively generate leads, but the conversion rate is not as high as you have expected. A poorly planned follow-up can cause irreparable damages to your organization.

10. Not Using Valuable Content Inside the Mailer

Product-focused direct mail is a dying art. Today’s customers are less likely to be interested in your sales pitch. Customers want solutions, insights, and advice. They don’t want to be sold to. Instead, a customer testimonial, a straightforward statement of benefit, or a forceful call to action can do the trick.

When I talk about valuable information, I mean who gets to benefit from the product you push. What problem are you solving with your product? That’s the key to a successful direct mail campaign.

If you are having a hard time getting leads resulting from your direct mail campaigns, that isn’t reassuring. However, since it is a promising investment, you might be guilty of the mistakes we’ve addressed. If that’s the case, work on your failures and give them a shot.

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