Slow and Steady Wins the Marketing Race — Take Advantage of Direct-Mail Marketing

How many people do you think look forward to checking their email inbox each day? How many actually pay attention to pop-up ads or digital advertisements?  Even in our digital world, 40% of people under the age of 30 look forward to checking their mail on a daily basis. True, no one likes getting bills in the mail, but physical mail has become especially powerful in a world of constant, unrelenting, instant communication. That’s why direct-mail marketing continues to be a proven marketing technique that gets people’s attention. Continue reading about how you can take advantage of direct-mail marketing.

Taking advantage of direct mail to boost sales and engagement can be a fantastic strategy that’s not going out of vogue any time soon.  The misconception is that direct mail is too expensive to implement, and is why some companies don’t try it.  However, research shows that direct-mail marketing campaigns actually cost a fraction of what digital ad campaigns costs.  By using printers that know mailing services, you can save even more by reducing the hard cost of postage.  Utilizing a full service commercial print and mail house can make your direct mailers a breeze to execute and save you money.

Keep reading to discover the benefits of this tried and true marketing technique. Learn how you can take advantage of direct-mail marketing!

Why Is Direct Mail Marketing So Effective? 

With the rise of the Internet, some over-eager futurists expected direct-mail marketing to go the way of the phone book. And even though digital marketing can be an effective and necessary part of any marketing strategy, sometimes a more classic approach is still the best way to reach new prospects.

Indeed, direct-mail marketing provides about a 13-1 return on investment on average. Online, there are thousands of ads and spam messages competing for attention, but that’s not the case in your customers’ mailboxes. Over 90% of shoppers say they would rather receive direct mail in order to make purchasing decisions, while 65% are more likely to remember to use a voucher if they received a physical copy like a coupon to carry with them.

Overall, the average household response rate for direct mail campaigns is almost 4%. This is especially impressive, given that the response rate is only .2% for mobile, .1% for social media, and .02% for online advertisements.  In fact, this technique can be so effective that even digital-first businesses use direct-mail marketing to great effect. USPS conducted a study that showed over 60% of those who received direct mail visited the website being promoted, and it had the most effect on first-time shoppers.  So marketers are realizing by combining direct mail with an internet presence, that the direct mail can drive their prospects exactly where they want them to go online….increasing relevancy and response rates.

But How Can I Save Money on Postage? 

As you can see, direct-mail marketing is an effective tool for marketers. Naturally, you want to try and keep your costs down, while increasing your response rates.  With postage going up semi-regularly, marketers can be anxious about using direct-mail as their marketing means. However, there are ways to save on the hard cost of postage and generate higher ROI’s!

The first way to save on postage costs is by utilizing standard class/bulk mail services.  The United States Post Office offers a bulk mail/volume discounts for large mail jobs. If you’re mailing 200 pieces or more, you can save as much as $.28 in postage costs by mailing standard class.  When mail houses are able to presort your mailing, the post office gives certain discounts on your postage.

Another key way to save on postage costs is by utilizing the services of a commercial mail house to drop ship your mail.  Drop shipping your mail to the Bulk Mailing Facilities is a great way to achieve postage discounts that most direct mail companies don’t offer with their package prices or even know about.  In this situation, mail houses will process your mail and leverage shipping companies to delivery your mail directly to the local postal facilities close to the final destination…saving you postage costs while expediting your mail.

Finally, you should find reputable printers near you that have their own mail house.  Using a turnkey operation for your projects will not only save you time and money, but it will cut the middle guy out that typically is making money on your postage savings…putting your money saved back in your pocket!

Target Your Direct-Mail Campaign 

Don’t market to everyone; target specifically those that are your best prospects.  New digital tools make it so easy to identify those target consumers. Don’t just send out a massive number of mailers to potential customers. Instead, send them to your best consumers. Your best prospects are similar to your current customers, therefore leveraging experienced list companies allow you to target and identify your best prospects in your markets.  Then once you’ve identified your market, sending a personalized direct mail messages to them via a postcard or letter has shown to increase customer engagement and response rates.  Variable data direct mail allows you to send personalized commination to the right prospect at the right time.

Don’t discount the powerful effects of a direct-mail marketing campaign can have on your business. You might be surprised at the results!

Looking for printers in Tampa? Get in touch with our marketing experts today for help with all of your printing and mailing needs.