michael plummer, jr. He is President/CEO/MC of Our Town America, the nation’s leading new engine marketing franchise.
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As businesses adjust to consumer buying habits in the post-pandemic world, it’s important to develop your direct mail marketing strategy to stay relevant and ensure your direct mail list is generating conversions.
Last year saw the boom in teleconferences, remote work, binge-watching and grocery delivery around the world. Even before the pandemic hit, the average American worker was spending five hours a day on email, according to an Adobe study. While the vaccine rollout and falling Covid-19 numbers are fueling consumer confidence, many Americans expect to continue telecommuting and at least 26.7% of the workforce will be fully remote by the end of 2021, according to an upwork survey of over 1,000 hiring managers and CEOs. by 2025, 36.2 million Americans will work remotely, an increase of 16.8 million people from pre-pandemic rates.
As our digital footprint accelerates and zoom fatigue sets in, Americans crave experiences outside of their computer screens. email inboxes are overflowing and people are becoming desensitized to online advertisements. Direct mail marketing continues to provide a personal and tangible alternative for customers suffering from screen overload, which will be more important than ever as the country slowly returns to normal. enables small businesses to reach customers in their community at home, where they spend their time, by providing a physical touch point for their message.
As technology continues to innovate, direct mail marketing is evolving to provide businesses with real-time marketing analytics to help improve targeting and reduce marketing costs. direct mail can also include unique codes or barcodes to track individual responses to your mailings.
Combine accurate direct mail lists with technological enhancements
Small businesses can leverage their direct mail lists by taking advantage of digital enhancements. The USPS developed a unique feature for its direct mail postcard. informed delivery allows residents to get a copy of their direct mail in their email inbox before it reaches their physical mailbox. marketers can capitalize on this trend by including unique links in the message or videos about the deal. Voice activation technology allows businesses to use their smart speakers, like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, to respond to advertising offers.
focus on sensory experience
direct mail marketing allows companies to focus on the sensory experience of their customers. sensory marketing plays an important role in purchasing decisions as it can help strengthen b2c connections. both sight and touch are key senses that influence product perception, according to a report by ie university in spain. Your direct mail marketing message can stand out and engage customers by offering an offline sensory experience in our increasingly digital world. direct mail messages can stand out even more by including more personalization and physical touches like foil, embossing, and even scent.
For example, my company offers an enhanced sensory experience for new residents of the community. We ship a deluxe, ribbed-texture welcome pack filled with oversized color-proven offers from local businesses. our businesses appreciate high-quality design, and newcomers receive a tangible offer that gives them the opportunity to interact with new brands.
Obstacles to Direct Mail Marketing
While it’s clear that direct mail is an important tool in your marketing arsenal, it’s important to remember that it’s not foolproof. Still, the high return on investment that a direct mail marketing campaign can generate makes it worth overcoming these hurdles. Here are some of the most common roadblocks businesses face and how to fix them:
• frequency. Determining the frequency of shipments is difficult to achieve. send a postcard too often and customers will throw it away. Splitting up your list and sending postcards at different frequencies can help you avoid saturation and find that sweet spot. sending to a new niche audience each time can also help with this.
• updated lists. It’s also important to keep your mailing lists up to date. USPS can validate addresses against its database to make sure they are up to date. doing database validation routinely can help make your campaign more effective and could increase returns. If you’re working with a company that provides a mailing list, check with them to determine the accuracy of the list.
• exceed budget. make sure your direct mail marketing campaign generates results. spending too much on your marketing budget is not an option. many vendors offer apps to track the success of your campaign while also providing detailed demographic data to help expedite your next mailing.
As Americans continue to weather the pandemic, reaching them at home with direct mail marketing can provide a strong return on investment for your business and a welcome respite from digital overload.
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