Pros

• Creative way to convey your message
• Reach your target customers
• Personalization

Cons

• Price / Expense
• Tracking success and ROI
• Accurate data

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Pros and cons of a direct mailer campaign

A direct mailer campaign can be effective if done correctly. As with any marketing campaign, there are some pros and cons of incorporating this into your strategy.

Pros

Creative way to convey your message

One of the largest advantages we see of direct mailers is the creative ways that you can communicate your message to your potential customers. Although you can get creative with your emails, social media posts, and blog topics, customers are still only able to see or hear those components. Your direct mailers give customers something to touch and actively interact with. Remember that you are not the only company attempting to reach your customers through direct mailers, so you must do something unique that resonates with your customers to stand out from your competition. Here are a few examples of creative direct mailers: 10 Creative Examples of Direct Mail Marketing.

Reach your target customers

Assuming that you have clean customer data, this is perhaps the best way to get your content in the hands of your target customers. Due to the expense of a direct mailer campaign, we suggest that you narrow your target customers. This means to target those that you believe will have the highest chance of converting to a sell. See what customers interact often with your other pieces of content and consider just sending to them.

Personalization

The customers that you are sending your direct mailers will be coming directly from your CRM system. Make sure to personalize your mailers to ensure those top prospects feel special. If these customers are interacting with your content, but receive generic mailers, they may feel as if you treat them as just another number instead of someone that you truly want business from.

Cons

Price / Expense

Perhaps the biggest con for a direct mailer campaign is the price. This will vary based upon the type of mailer you send, but according to Costhack, the average cost per piece is $1.50. For most small to medium sized businesses with limited budgets, there are other methods such as paid advertising that can reach a larger audience for a cheaper price. We suggest shopping around for different vendors and comparing pricing and capabilities of each.

Tracking success and ROI

One of the most difficult components of a direct mailer campaign is tracking the success and return on investment. Depending on the goal of your campaign, this can become even more difficult. Postary reports that “the average response rate of a direct mail campaign is between 2.7 – 4.4%.” We suggest that you create tracking URLs or QR codes to measure the success of your mailers.

Accurate data

Clean data is the ultimate desire for marketers. With inaccurate data you may not be reaching the people that you thought you were. This could be due to either incorrect or outdated data.

We suggest considering adding direct mailers to your marketing strategy specifically for those customers that you believe are almost ready to buy but need a little extra push. Consider creating a lead scoring system for your customer base and sending mailers to those that hit a certain score. For example, customers may need to reach 25 points to be sent a piece of direct mail. Email opens are 5 points, a webinar registration is 15 points, and comments on social media posts are 1 point each. Systems like HubSpot can help you automate this process.

If you are interested in how we can help your company grow with marketing strategies that incorporate tactics like direct mailing, contact us today.