If you own a business then you know it’s important to reach new customers and stay connected to old customers by using different methods of marketing. While much of the marketing these days is done via the internet, there is still something to be said about the power of marketing directly to target customers. While you may assume that everyone is on their phone or computer all the time and can view ads and learn about businesses, people still obviously get their mail daily which is why direct mail marketing is still big business.

Targeted direct marketing is much more than just sending out a flier and keeping your fingers crossed that someone will respond. There are plenty of do’s and don’ts that go into a successful direct mail marketing campaign.

Let’s take a look at the different types of direct mail marketing as well as some common guidelines to follow.

What is Direct Mail Advertising?

This form of targeted advertising is a marketing effort that delivers promotional material about your business directly to your target audience. This is done via a wide variety of marketing materials including brochures, catalogs, postcards, newsletters, and sales letters. This is one of the most beneficial ways to reach new and existing customers because you know exactly who is receiving your message. Instead of mailing out information blindly, you know who should have received your information, allowing you the opportunity to also follow up.

Cards and postcards are among the least expensive methods of direct mail while parcels are considered one of the most expensive and should be reserved for only a select group.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Direct Mail Marketing

Once you decide what type or what combination of direct marketing you want to tackle, it’s important to stay focused and consider the following:

Do:

Do always know and research your target audience. You don’t want to waste your time and money targeting people who have no interest in your product. Know your audience; know their demographics, location, and any other characteristic that can help you tailor your marketing to them.

Do start out small. If you start out by mailing too much information at once, you run the risk of not being able to measure your efforts. By starting out small you’ll be able to better track your leads to see if your direct mail marketing is working. If it is, then you can decide how much to increase the following month as you continue to track your progress.

Do keep your mailings simple. The truth is no one has time to read through a lengthy mailing. Keep it simple and to the point. Use catchy colors and language to grab attention.

Do pay attention to design and themes. You want to make sure that every element of your direct mail marketing campaign has a tie to your core message. The art, graphics, and pictures should all strengthen the underlying theme of your campaign. This will help to get your point across and have a clear message.

Do talk directly to your audience. You should include some type of personal message in your mailings to draw the audience in. Storytelling can be a good idea because it draws people in to read the story and then the marketing message. Just make sure the story isn’t too long so that you don’t lose their interest before they get to your marketing message.

Don’t:

Don’t forget to proofread. You would be surprised at how many mailings go out with misspellings and grammatical errors. While everyone makes a mistake, you don’t want that mistake to involve your business. It may portray the idea that you don’t care enough to make sure everything goes out correctly. People may then interpret that to mean that you don’t care enough about their business as well.

Don’t forget a call to action or incentives. Sending out the mailing is just part of the task. The mailing needs to include some type of call to action or incentive. This could include a discount or an invitation to enter a promotion. Whatever you decide to include, you want to make sure there is something to attract the customer and lead them to want to find out more about your business.

Don’t forget to follow up. When people respond to your mailing, don’t forget to follow up. Recognize their business and always be thankful. You’ll also want to follow up with new incentives and reasons for them to come back. Getting a customer to respond one time is great, but you want repeat customers and referrals so that you can grow your business.

Don’t give up if one mailing doesn’t work. Sometimes you’ll need to send out multiple mailings to see results. If one or two mailings are not getting results, it may be time to revamp your strategy or the content of your mail. You will find a campaign that resonates with your audience.

Getting Help with Your Direct Marketing Campaign

If you’re considering a targeted direct marketing campaign, you can see there are many elements that go into making it a success. It requires research, time, and the knowledge of knowing what works and what doesn’t. Many business owners don’t have the time to develop a successful direct mail marketing campaign. That’s where Mailing List Connection comes in. We can create a direct mail marketing campaign that can get you the results you need.

Call Mailing List Connection today at 469-549-4000 to get started. Let our marketing experts get to work for you and help you create an effective targeted marketing campaign.