The perception of direct mail can often mean that it’s treated as a “nice to have” channel within a marketing mix, it’s seen as an add on. But this is wrong. In a marketing world which is embracing a growth marketing model, direct mail should be seen as a key platform that can add and enhance effective touchpoints across your customer journey. It’s a vital channel for both acquisition and retention, and this blog will tell you how.
Customer acquisition.
Target your audience.
Direct mail campaigns should be heavily informed by data, with many different fully GDPR compliant options available. You can identify people who have bought similar products to yours, find people who have a particular interest, and use profiled data like Mosaic and Acorn to target specific demographics. Through things like partnership insert campaigns, where your communications are packaged with already purchased items from other brands, you can have an advert that your audience is actively looking for and guaranteed to see, and it’s a great way to entice new customers in with discount codes and other introductory offers.
Disrupt the digital noise.
The world has become saturated with digital interactions, meaning tangible experiences have become a novelty – especially for younger demographics. In an online space, ads are easily lost in a sea of attention-grabbing content – easily skipped and easily forgotten. Direct mail is a way of putting something physical in front of your audience for them to interact with when their attention is focused. It engages their sight, touch and even smell. Studies by Marketreach show that mail is 33% more engaging than email and 35% more engaging than social media advertising.
Not only does having something physical better engage audiences compared to many digital ads, it also has improved longevity and reach. The average lifespan of a direct mail advert across all industries is 7.75 days. Compare this to the lifespan of an email of 2 seconds. (Source www.digitaldoughnut.com)
Integrate with online.
One major mistake brands tend to make with direct mail marketing is using it in isolation from other channels, direct mail campaigns should be connected to the rest of your marketing mix and be linked to digital activity. QR codes for example can create convenient links between direct mail pieces and digital content.
Customer retention.
Show you care.
Forbes estimates that 68% of customers leave a brand because they perceive an element of indifference. Everyone knows how easy, cheap and automated emails can be, so simply sending an email to keep your customers engaged isn’t going to cut it in their mind. Taking the time and expense to physically send and give them something, instantly helps you prove that you care about them. The ability for direct mail to be so engaging is perfect for retention, JICMAIL’s research has shown that 31% of all addressed advertising mail converts to an action such as visiting the website or making a purchase.
Tell your story.
A piece of direct mail has more space to play with, giving you the opportunity to tell your brand and product story in a more compelling way. Its format means you can immediately present the premium quality of your brand in the print design and finish. This all provides a platform for real engagement and creating a lasting impression. Marketreach’s studies have shown that physical mail has a powerful impact on long-term memory encoding, +49% stronger than email, +35% stronger than social media advertising.
Time it perfectly.
Direct mail can be timed to land at the optimum time in your customer journey, in order to be super effective. Programmatic mail for example, which is the sending of direct mail triggered by specific online actions, is a great way to combat abandoned online baskets.
Let the experts help.
The best way to use direct mail to drive customer acquisition and retention? Let PSE Offline marketing help. We have over 25 years’ experience of working with brands like HelloFresh, G-Tech and Hotel Chocolat. We can manage every aspect of your campaign and guide you every step of the way.
Fancy getting started? Great, let’s chat about how we can help your brand get the most out of offline marketing.
