Go Old School – Send Direct Mail

In this digital age, it is easy to think that all you need do to is sit behind your computer and wait for the sales to roll in. But as more and more of your competitors jump on the digital bandwagon you need to do something different if you want to stand out. And different might just be going old school and sending direct mail. If you want to reach the average American, send them a letter.

According to data from the US Postal service, 98% of Americans open their mail every day. So instead of fighting for a spot in their inbox, you might want to just send them a letter. There is something extremely powerful about a physical object. Sure they can toss it in the trash, but for a moment or two, they are physically connecting with your brand. And that physical connection will make your brand memorable.

If you are really lucky your message hangs around on a counter top or stuck up on the refrigerator until the customer decides to take action. It isn’t an either-or when it comes to email and direct mail. The best campaigns will combine both. The low delivery cost and ease of use make email the right choice to build name recognition, while direct mail’s physical presence closes the sale.

Since it has probably been awhile since you sent out a direct mail campaign, here are a few tips to designing a winning mailer.

Go big or go home – It is more expensive to send an oversized postcard, but these larger pieces of mail are more likely to be noticed as they stand out in the mailbox. There is also more room to include essential information and an eye-catching visual.

Keep the copy short – Avoid the temptation to fill every inch of white space with as many words as possible.

Command action – Be bold! Use the same type of strong language you would use on the most important call to action on your website. Your objective is not to see something from one letter or postcard, but to motivate your customer to take the next step.

Make it personal – With new printing tools, you can add variable data which makes a message seem as if it was created just for me. For example, an air conditioning contractor might choose to target specific neighborhoods. Instead of sending the identical mailer to each one (we will be servicing homes in your neighborhood next week) imagine how much more powerful a headline would be if it said, we will be servicing homes in Willow Lakes next week.

Test your design – If you think you have a winning direct mail campaign, do a small test run and check the results before you send thousands of postcards. Don’t be afraid to test, revise and test again. In the long run, the benefit of a finely tuned campaign will more than cover the cost of the tests.