WHEN LESS IS MORE
WHATEVER IT IS, see if it can be done digitally. That seems to be the rule of thumb for a majority of contemporary captains of marketing and sales. However, good old epistles through the post still offer one of the most consistently effective forms of advertising. The direct mail industry has decreased in size but it has reported that spending on this method of capturing customers is creeping up again.
With far less printed material clattering on to your doormat, it has been replaced by a stream of emails, texts and pop-ups. Hadn’t it been such a woeful waste of paper – and everyone’s time? However, less is more.
There is more targeting, more personalisation, more formats, more flexibility and more intelligent measurement. The Royal Mail examined what happens when post is deemed to be valuable to a recipient.
It explained that once the item was found to be interesting, there was a strong incentive to take action. That was concluded from research involving 3,000 people in the UK.
They were asked to select pieces of post they had found valuable. Items chosen included brochures, catalogues, coupons and functional correspondence such as account statements.
READER IMPORTANCE
Valued post comprised content that explained something that the reader felt was important. Around 92% of respondents declared an emotional response to such mail and had taken action. Nearly half of them purchased, renewed or donated.
Quality mail also prompted indirect activity. Well over one-third decided to search for more information online. Almost as many discussed it with others: family and friends to the fore. A total of 73% kept the mailer for future reference.
For sure, no longer is it acceptable to address material to ‘the homeowner’. To maximise the value of mail it is clear that the output must be contiguous, relevant and capable of evoking feelings among types who have been pre-identified as worth your while.
With a quality direct mail campaign, possibly dovetailed into complementary emailing or mobile marketing, small businesses in particular can cluster their limited promotional resources where they are most likely produce results.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
It can be reasonably straightforward to calculate a break-even point, work out the cost per response and assess the eventual return on investment.
Simple analysis will enable you to tweak your campaigns to improve results, including identification of those who are most responsive, so that you can target them again in future. The ultimate aim is to post profits.
Crucially, you must send the right material to the right people. If you do not have the resources in-house, seek assistance. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), for instance, has over 1,000 corporate members, including many set up to furnish skilled support.
Firstly, tight targeting. Then, when a prospect picks up and opens your mailer, you will be on the way to establishing a physical bond with your brand – something that email is less likely to do. Potentially, when that acceptor is thinking about making a purchase, your communication could be the first thing recalled.
You may have tapped into a whole new dimension of sales. Cost effective sales, too, with lasting benefits for your business.our destination in timely fashion and business rewards will be awaiting.
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