With careful planning, it allows businesses to get information about their products and services directly into the hands of people who are most likely to want them. It can also generate enquiries and help you to build better relationships with your customers. Here, we look at 10 ways you could improve the success of your direct mail campaigns.
1 Define your objectives
Decide what you want to achieve and who you want to respond. Is the aim to get people to attend a one-off event, fill in a questionnaire, request a catalogue or visit your shop? Are you aiming to reach young mums, married couples or men over 50? Knowing these details from the beginning will help you to target your campaign effectively.
2 Set a realistic budget
Direct mail campaigns usually don’t come cheap, but compared with other advertising methods (eg radio or billboard advertising) they are much better value and are likely to generate more responses. On average, a direct mail campaign can be expected to achieve a seven per cent response rate.
A successful campaign should pay for itself. This includes postage and packaging, printing and the cost of buying a mailing list from a supplier if you don’t have your own. Because direct mail campaigns can be costly, it always makes sense to start with a small trial run to see what reaction you get.
3 Build an effective database
You might want to contact all of the customers on your database. Alternatively you might be offering something that will only interest a small proportion. Do not contact anyone that has opted-out of receiving your mailings (see 5).
You can segment consumers by age, gender, income, geographical area, home type or hobbies. For business-to-business mailings, you might consider industry-type, sales turnover, number of employees and location. Target the people you think are most likely to be interested in what you have to say. If you don’t have this level of detail you could cross-reference your data with lists from major databases, such as Experian or Claritas.
4 Add to or buy a complete list
Not all businesses will have data on the type of people they imagine will be interested in their product or service – especially if they are moving into a new market.
It is possible to buy or rent a ready-made mailing list from a number of sources. If you do buy a list on a single-use basis – don’t use it again without permission. Lists are often seeded, so the company will be able to tell if you misuse their data.
5 Comply with data protection rules
Under the Data Protection Act, consumers and businesses can opt-out of receiving information. Any list you buy from outside should have been fully checked, but if you are using your own list you should make sure people who have opted out do not receive your mailer.
When you send it out, you should also give people the chance to opt-out of any future contact with you. Contact the Information Commissioner’s Office by visiting www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk or call 01625 545745 for more information.
6 Decide whether to use a mailing house
If you are going to be mailing more than 1,000 people, it can make sense to pay a mailing house to do the job for you. Some will manage your database, organise printing, stuff envelopes and despatch your mail.
Include some “seed names” in your mailing list, such as the names and addresses of a few friends or employees. This will allow you to check how long it takes for the mail to arrive and what state it is in when it gets there.
7 Give a clear call to action
It can sometimes make sense to bring in an outside agency to help with your direct mail campaigns, especially if you don’t have experience of writing sales copy.
If you choose to write it in-house, make sure you give a clear call to action early on (this could be to visit your shop before your sale ends, use the coupon enclosed or visit your website for more information). Repeat your message several times and give your contact details clearly at the end.
8 Make sure you can cope with increased demand
If your campaign brings the level of success you are hoping for, you will also need the resources necessary to deal with the new business and enquiries generated. If you do a small trial run, use the response you get to determine whether you need anyone else answering your phone enquiries, helping in your showroom or stocking your warehouse.
9 Measure the success of each campaign
Whenever you send out direct mail, make sure you can monitor its success. This might involve asking potential customers who contact you as a result of the campaign to quote a certain phrase or code number. If you send out vouchers you could also code them. This way you will know which mailing they were from when they are used. Get your staff to ask all new customers how they heard of your products or services.
10 Keep your database clean
Once you have carried out a campaign – don’t neglect your database. It is estimated that most lists are completely unusable within three years if they are not maintained properly. When you send mail to named persons – include a return address. If you do receive any back, remove these names and addresses from your database.