A lot of companies are achieving a significant return on investment from direct mail thanks to enhanced data quality and better targeting strategies. If you aren’t getting the results you want for your business, there are steps you can take to improve direct mail performance.
The following is a look at some of the most impactful strategies and tips that should help you paint a better picture with your direct mail efforts!
More Targeted and Segmented Lists
Historically, direct mail response rates have been less than one percent. However, successful companies now achieve closer to a three- to five-percent response, depending on the industry. If your response is closer to the former level, a lack of effective prospecting targeting and list segmentation is a likely culprit.
While the mass distribution of a general mail piece offers some cost advantages, efficiency and results improve when you deliver a more useful and relevant message to specific prospects. Break up your contact database into segments based on demographic, geographic, lifestyle, and behavioral data to better identify the factors that influence groups of prospects into making a purchase. Then, customize and personalize your content in a way that captures attention and drives responses.
Better Quality Pieces
No matter how well you target, you won’t achieve optimized results with mediocre-quality pieces. When you consider the costs to mail 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 mailers or more, it is tempting to find ways to mitigate the costs by even a few pennies. However, for a modestly higher investment, you can get professional quality designs and more attention-getting pieces that generate results.
The design of your piece should complement the content and the story you are telling and should relate to the interests of your targeted prospects. Attractive pieces get noticed out of the mailbox and are more likely to get read. To make an even bigger splash, consider larger-dimension pieces beyond conventional postcards and letters.
Results Tracking and Modification
It is hard to know your level of success or how to improve results later if you don’t track your efforts and results now. For every direct mail campaign, track your response rate and conversion rate. If your rates are low on a particular campaign or piece, analyze your data to find out why you didn’t get a better response. When you see a strong response, document which types of pieces, designs, and messages inspired that particular market segment.
Continue to modify your strategy as you notice shifts in the interests and reactions of customers to mailers.
Conclusions
These are a few of the most effective ways that you can improve direct mail performance and experience a higher return on investment. In some cases, a minor investment in tools and tactics generates a significant return on investment.
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