Direct Mail Planning for 2008

As we approach the marketing plan and budget season more and more of our clients are asking about direct mail, and for good reason. Direct mail, despite people’s perceptions, is still one of the most effective ways to get your message out to people who know nothing about you. The key, of course, is to make your pieces attention grabbing, relevant, and timely.

Jessica Tsai recently reported from the Direct Marketing Associations conference with 13 ideas to improve your direct mail campaigns.

“9. People are most interested in themselves: Present your campaign in terms of how the customer will benefit, not in terms of how you are helping them.”

So much direct mail focuses on the sender rather than the recipient and I think that’s why it gets such a bad rap. If you focus on the wants and needs of your recipient you’re guaranteed to have improved results.

She picked up twelve other tips, so I recommend checking out “13 Reasons People Will Open Your Direct Mail” before your next campaign.

Daniel Honigman of Marketing News, also had a nice article debating the merits of direct mail vs. email.

“If you are introducing yourself to a prospect or trying to break through multiple layers of gatekeepers, for example, a direct mail piece is likely to get you a bigger return—the more customized, three-dimensional and relevant the piece, the better, even though that means the initial costs will be higher. If your target marketing is aimed at an audience that’s already familiar with your company, however, an e-mail campaign probably would be more effective.”

That’s a good breakdown of the effectiveness of both mediums. We see the same thing with our clients. Email requires an invitation from the recipient in order to be viewed. If you aren’t known then your email is going to be quickly deleted. Direct mail is still a physical object that has to be picked up and looked at. You have a couple more seconds to have your message viewed and that extra time can make all the difference.

As you plan your 2008 marketing strategy, keep in mind the importance of direct mail and the techniques in these articles to maximize your campaigns.

Comments

[Niamh Kiernan]

I tried the direct marketing approach for another business and even used beautiful hand written quality envelopes but did not have much success. Perhaps my enclosure was not cutting the mustard.

[Daniel B.Honigman]

Thanks for the love, Mike. It seems that everyone already knows these principles, but marketers either want to be super-cheap or really experimental. There has to be something better!

[Daniel B. Honigman]

By the way, you should check out our blog:

http://appserver.marketingpower.com/blog/marketingnews/

[Daniel B. Honigman]

By the way, you should check out our blog:

http://appserver.marketingpower.com/blog/marketingnews/