Despite being a factor in marketing for a long time, direct mail has gone through major changes in recent years. These changes include the use of new tools and strategies that have revived direct mail as a critical promotional strategy.
The push for improvement continues in 2017 with several new direct mail trends developing. Here is a look at a few critical ones that you need to know.
Increased Data Collection and Targeted Messaging
Delivering relevant, personalized messages has been a leading goal for several years. However, companies are expected to venture even further throughout 2017 to gather thorough profile and behavioral data on prospects.
Enhanced data has become a big deal as well. This set of data points that goes beyond behavioral data that companies traditionally have gathered. It includes items such as consumer daily schedules, driving routes, and recent life transitions. With a better picture of where a consumer or business buyer is at a particular point in time, your company can deliver more relevant direct mail pieces that attract their interest.
Multi-Channel Integration
The synergistic advantages of multi-channel marketing are gaining attention in 2017. In line with the desire to coordinate messages across channels, direct mail is now viewed as a key cog in a broader communication system.
Businesses can integrate direct mail with digital campaigns, for instance, by offering QR codes or personalized URLs on mailers. A reader can scan the code or go to the URL to reach a targeted landing page with content specific to client interests or needs. Some B2B companies segment audiences based on stages in the buying cycle. This approach allows the delivery of follow-up messages that relate to the level of knowledge and comfort of a particular target.
Getting Outside the Envelope
While postcards and letters remain common in direct mail campaigns, companies that want to achieve maximum impact are looking beyond these conventions. Dimensional pieces, as they are called, attract more attention in a prospect’s mailbox because they stand out from the stack of standard mail pieces.
Your company could include a promotional package with samples, materials, and coupons. You could also deliver your message in a piece that appears like a model of your core product.
Though more expensive, infusing augmented reality into direct mail is another way companies are gaining more traction with prospects. To do this, you typically have to offer prospects a piece that they can manipulate for AR functionality such as through specialized glasses or animation.
Conclusions
These may be the most important direct mail trends impacting markets in 2017. Recognizing what other companies are doing and how consumers and business buyers respond is important to your ability to achieve desired results.
Salesgenie is aware of these trends and continues to offer highly targeted contacts for clients, along with other professional direct mail solutions. Check us out with now risk when you start your free trial!
