How to Create a Successful Direct Mail Campaign: 7 Top Tips
A successful direct mail campaign needs seven things: a well-defined target audience, a clear and exciting offer, creative that stands out, a message that gets to the point, a simple call to action, a follow-up mailing, and measured results. Direct mail is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to dramatically increase your business leads, and a new campaign is the perfect way to start fresh and grow your business. Here are The Direct Mail Company’s top tips, learnt from years of running campaigns for our clients.
| Tip | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1. Know your target audience | Mail your specific niche, not a random neighbourhood |
| 2. Make the offer clear and exciting | Answer “what’s in it for me?” with an offer they can’t refuse |
| 3. Stand out from the crowd | Personalise your mail so customers feel valued |
| 4. Tell them what they want to know | Get to the point and lead with the benefits |
| 5. Make it worthwhile to act | Pair a wanted product with a simple, visible call to action |
| 6. Follow up on your investment | A second mailing that references the first converts warm leads |
| 7. Monitor the results | Dedicated tracking tells you your true return on investment |
Tip 1: Know Your Target Audience
The success of direct mail is often overlooked, yet it is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to dramatically increase your business leads – which is why knowing exactly who you’re targeting matters so much. The better you know your customers, the more effective your campaign will be. Does your business have a specific type of person who purchases your goods or services? We have found it is often far more effective to send several hundred or several thousand pieces of direct mail to your specific niche market than to blanket a random neighbourhood.
Tip 2: Make Sure the Offer Is Clear and Exciting
Don’t waste your audience’s time with a confusing marketing message. If someone is willing to give you a chance by reading your material, make sure they don’t regret that decision. Whether your direct mail offers new insight or a service that genuinely meets their wants and needs, your audience needs a reward that adds value to their life for choosing to look at your mail. Remember “What’s In It For Me?” – give your audience an offer they cannot refuse.
Tip 3: Make Your Campaign Stand Out From the Crowd
Your marketing mail is a representation of your business, so make the right impression. Generic direct mail is far less likely to get the responses you want – be creative and think outside the box. We recommend sending personalised direct mail, which makes your customers feel more valued and increases the response rate; we cover quick and easy ways to personalise your direct mail in our dedicated guide.
Tip 4: Tell Them What They Want to Know
Don’t mess around – ensure your material is clear and to the point. Inform your reader of the benefits of your product or service, and tell them exactly how it will help them specifically.
Tip 5: Make Your Campaign Worthwhile to Act On
Catch the reader’s attention with a product or service they actually want, then convert that interest into action. To get the audience to act, know what you want to achieve and make it as simple as possible for them to do it – for example, an obvious Freephone number in their line of sight with a call to action telling them exactly what to do.
Tip 6: Follow Up on Your Investment
Maximise the value of your investment by following it up – don’t lose leads by going quiet after one mailing. From our experience, people prefer being contacted by post rather than being phoned to check whether they opened your mail. In your follow-up mailing, reference your first one, so your audience immediately knows who you are.
Tip 7: Monitor the Results of Your Campaign
Once your campaign is out, measure the results so you know how successful it has been. If the call to action is to phone a number, make the number dedicated to the campaign so you can count exactly how many calls it generated – then measure how many sales followed, and whether the campaign is delivering a good return on your investment.
Plan Your Next Campaign With The Direct Mail Company
If you have big plans for your business’s direct mail campaigns, get in touch for a quote. For more information on our direct mail services, call us on 0333 038 3797 or email sales@thedirectmailcompany.co.uk, and follow us on Facebook.
Successful Direct Mail Campaigns: Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a direct mail campaign successful?
Seven things: a precisely targeted audience, a clear irresistible offer, personalised creative that stands out, benefit-led copy that gets to the point, a simple visible call to action, a follow-up mailing, and dedicated tracking of the results.
Is it better to mail more people or the right people?
The right people. Several hundred or several thousand pieces sent to your specific niche market consistently outperform a blanket drop across a random neighbourhood.
Should I follow up a direct mail campaign?
Yes – and by post. People prefer receiving a follow-up mailing to being phoned about their post, and referencing your first mailing in the second means your audience instantly knows who you are.
How do I know if my campaign made money?
Use a dedicated phone number or tracking method per campaign, count the responses it generates, measure the sales that follow, and compare the total against what the campaign cost.
Who can help me run my next campaign?
The Direct Mail Company plans, prints, personalises and posts campaigns end to end. Call 0333 038 3797 or email sales@thedirectmailcompany.co.uk for a quote.
