13 Ways Direct Mail Works Best

However, this time we will show you how and when direct mail works best. This is not a guide on what format your direct mail should be in, such as postcards versus letters, but instead about ways to use direct mail that work best.

Here are the best ways to use direct mail:

1. Generate traffic to a location, a website or event: When you want to direct customers/prospects to a store, event or online location, direct mail is a great way to do that.
2. Generate sales leads: You can target and reach qualified and interested leads easily with direct mail.
3. Counter a competitive offer: Reaching out to customers and prospects that have received an offer from a competitor with and even better offer through direct mail gives you a chance to acquire the sale without the competitor knowing about your offer. Unlike online offers direct mail has some secrecy to it.
4. Customer loyalty: Reaching out with direct mail to customers with special offers and giveaways is a great way to reward your customers.
5. Customer acquisition or referrals: Include these in your direct mail as a way for your message to be passed on to friends and colleagues. Providing a recommendation to others is a powerful selling tool.
6. Improve customer service: Sending a thank you note to your customers is a great way to make people feel appreciated.
7. Cross sell or upsell: With variable data printing you can mention other things you offer that they may be interested in based on what they have already purchased. This can give you a great ROI boost.
8. Announcements: Since direct mail it taken seriously it is a great way to get important information out to people quickly.
9. Augmenting other media efforts: Direct mail ties in with so many other channels like email, web, social media, mobile, and so much more…
10. Improving sales efficiency: Sending out direct mail that helps to qualify and clarify people before you sell to them is extremely important.
11. Catalog, custom publications or newsletters: Each of these types of direct mail give you the ability to showcase new information or offers to the people most likely to buy from them.
12. Combining mailings with other companies: Think value added or coupons for this option. Co-branded mailings work well when each brand has the same target audience.
13. Building brand awareness: Direct mail is the most trusted form of marketing so using it to strengthen your brand is important. Remember the more they know your brand the more they buy from you.

Direct mail is more effective now than ever before. With less volume in mail boxes and ways to integrate direct mail with online and mobile content, there is now a bigger ROI for you to go after. When used as part of a multichannel campaign direct mail can significantly enhance your response.

Out of the 13 methods listed above what two could you start to use better right away? When you take the time to focus on what your customers and prospects need, you can better target your offers to meet them. Be the offer in their mail box that they could not wait to respond to!