Direct mail is a marketing strategy that involves sending direct mail postcards which can be a physical letter, package, mailer, brochure, postcard, etc. to your prospects and/or current customers.
Some might say it is old-fashioned, and direct mail’s response rate has dropped over time, but it still proves to be a valuable tool for marketers and salespeople. Research shows that direct mail’s response rate is 4.4% — compared to 0.12% for email. Customers prefer direct mail over email as they enjoy receiving personal mails due to the “emotional connection”. Even though direct mail is more expensive than emails, you have a better chance to be noticed that an email inbox with 1,237 unread emails.
Direct Mail Ideas
Tiny business cards
A regular sized card from their local realtor, dentist, the grocery store wouldn’t catch their immediate attention as these are pretty common. Shrink your holiday greeting card to miniature levels that could fit in their purse and make a much bigger impression than your competitors.
Coffee or hot chocolate
This campaign is perfect for fall or winter, as everyone longs for a cup of hot coffee. Send each potential customer a packet of instant coffee or hot chocolate with the note “Just add water.”
Also, include a postcard briefly describing your business
Wouldn’t it be nice if [buying a health insurance, finding your next home, choosing a car] was as easy as making instant coffee? Well, we can’t promise you it’ll be as simple, but [company] can definitely help with [X process]. Call one of our specialists at [phone number] or make an appointment on our website today.
Highly personalized brochures
Personalization is effective, whether you’re using it for email — or direct mail. Personalized direct mail postcards can help to establish a bond with your customer and will give you a better chance of being chosen. Always make sure a few details are customized to each customer.
Gimmicky toys
Gimmicks can be highly effective, especially if they’re quirky and creative enough. Consumers will end up keeping them around fulfilling your purpose. Come up with a toy, a fridge magnet, or a keychain related to your product. This is creative, relevant, targeted and engaging and will create a long lasting impression on your consumer.
Goodie boxes
It’s always fun to unpack a huge package of goodies, and even better, everyone on your target list will be walking around wearing your logo. In this digital age, sending a goodies box to a popular YouTuber will also lead their followers to be your potential customers.
