Best Practices - Direct Mail Marketing

Ten Best Practices of Direct Mail Marketing from The US Postal Service

1. It's all about the list! You'll have covered the most important part of the process which is using a targeted, clean list of prospects. Depending on the list you choose, you could be provided with various demographical statistics about your audience.
2. Set a goal. It's the easiest way to determine if results of your mailing meet your goal.
3. Consider ways to personalize the message you are sending.
4. Make sure your strongest benefit/offer is on the cover or in the headline to ensure the highest possible open/read rate. Consider the idea that you have three seconds to make an impression. Is your piece powerful and engaging enough? Stand out from the pile. Be creative!
5. K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Stupid. Studies prove short words and simple language are far more effective.
6. Don't assume you've got it right. Test it. Test it. Test it. Start with a small segment and gauge results. Fix it and gauge again.
7. Re-mail. Follow up in three to five days...."In case you missed our offer...." Just like any form of advertising, the key is in the redundancy and repeated exposure.
8. Make your mailing part of an overall campaign. Promote your message across print/digital/online channels.
9. Consider a mailing to say "thank you" to your current customers. Nurturing a relationship isn't all about selling.
10. ROI - Return on Investment- takes into account campaign cost > response rate > conversion ratio > AND profit per sale. DON'T STOP AT RESPONSE RATE! Estimate your return on investment using the USPS's online ROI Estimator.

Posted by Julie Vreeland
NRS, Brainerd, MN