Introduction
Direct mail marketing is one of the oldest forms of advertising in existence. It can be used to reach out to potential customers, drive sales, or promote events. The key to successful direct mail campaigns is in knowing how to design them and target them towards specific audiences. This article will provide you with everything you need to know about direct mail marketing: what it is, how it works and what options are available when planning your next campaign
What is direct mail marketing?
Direct mail is a marketing method that involves sending printed pieces to a list of people. Direct mail can be used to sell products or services, or it can collect information from people who want to buy something in the future.
Direct mail is an effective way to get your message out to a targeted audience. It’s also inexpensive when compared with other forms of marketing, such as television commercials and radio spots.
How does direct mail marketing work?
Direct mail marketing is a tried and true strategy that can help your business grow.
To understand how direct mail works, it’s important to understand who you want your marketing efforts to reach. You can use data from surveys and polls, or even just the names of people you know will be interested in what you have to offer. For example: if you own a dog grooming business, then it would make sense to target people who have dogs (or at least claim they do). The more specific your target audience is, the more valuable their responses will be for understanding their needs and wants.
Then, once you have a list of potential customers ready for mailing, there are various ways in which those pieces can be sent out:
- Mailer sent via snail mail (to home addresses)
- Mailer sent via email (to email addresses)
What’s the difference between postal rates and postage pricing?
You might have heard the terms “postage rates” and “postage pricing” before, but what do they mean?
Postage rates are the cost of mailing a letter. For example, if you’re sending a 1 oz letter from New York City to Los Angeles, it’ll cost $2.70 for postage. You can use this handy tool to see what your bulk mail rate would be.
Postage pricing is the cost of mailing a letter plus the cost of its envelope (or any other extra packaging). So if you’re mailing that same 1 oz letter but want to add some bubble wrap around it first so it’s more secure in transit, that extra layer on top adds an additional few cents per ounce to your total bill.
This means that large envelopes (like those used by magazines) tend to be more expensive than small ones since they often require more materials and time on both ends in order for them to get their contents across successfully!
What are some of the options for direct mail marketing campaigns?
There are several options for direct mail marketing campaigns, including:
- Mailers
A mailer is a multipage piece of printed collateral that can include information about your business, as well as a coupon or discount code. It’s often used to promote new products or services. Mailers can be sent out in large quantities to potential customers who have opted into your mailing list, but they’re also effective at targeting specific demographics and geographic areas where you have a high concentration of interest in your product or service offerings.
- Self mailers
Self mailers are one-page flyers that can be folded into thirds and mailed through the postal system without any additional packaging materials like envelopes (though they may need to be shipped flat). They’re an inexpensive way to reach customers with limited budgets looking for deals on local businesses within their area.
- Brochures/flyers/pamphlets/postcards
A brochure is an informational piece with multiple pages designed to present company information in an easily digestible format—typically around 8 pages long—and mailed inside an envelope so it doesn’t get damaged during transit from one location to another! Yes! This means there’s no need for special packaging materials like stamps because everything comes together neatly in its own little package ready-to-go when needed most.”
How do I design a print-ready direct mail piece?
A direct mail piece is a printed advertisement sent through the mail to potential customers. Before you can begin designing your print-ready direct mail piece, you need to consider how it will be used by customers and what they’ll expect from it.
Direct mail pieces are typically used for business-to-business marketing or fundraising campaigns where there is no personal connection between sender and recipient. In these situations, senders want their messages to be as clear, concise and memorable as possible so that recipients will take action on them. They also need to be able to get into the hands of target audiences without being discarded along with all the other junk mail in their mailbox. That means creating a print-ready direct mail piece that gets past these barriers requires some careful thought before sending out any materials!
Where can I find a list of mailing addresses or people that would be interested in my product or service?
- The local telephone directory has a list of businesses, as well as their contact information.
- Your local library will have directories for your community that you can use to find these addresses.
- You might find some mailing lists in your newspaper’s classified section, or in an ad in the paper. Some businesses will advertise their customer mailing lists so they can reach out to previous customers and get them interested again.
- There are also many directories that specialize in listing businesses and other organizations within specific industries. For example, there are trade publications aimed at dentists, veterinarians, plumbers and a variety of other professions that contain listings of companies like yours that have provided services or products to their readership at one time or another. These publications are inexpensive or free (depending on whether you’re willing to pay for advertising), so it’s worth looking into if this type of resource is available for your industry sector..
Should I consider using a postcard for my direct mail piece?
Postcards are an excellent choice if you want to reach a large audience. They’re less expensive and easier to design than other direct mail pieces, so they can be a valuable tool in your marketing arsenal.
When designing your postcard, keep these tips in mind:
- Use the back of the card to tell people all about your product or service. Include photos and any other graphics that will help sell it effectively.
- Make sure you have plenty of room for information on both sides of the card so that people can see everything at a quick glance when they flip through their mail pile at home or work (e.g., an image at the top with copy beneath it).
Direct mail can provide a great return on investment – one that’s still much higher than digital marketing.
There are two reasons why direct mail still has a place in today’s world.
First, people who don’t use social media and the internet can still be reached via direct mail. Second, it’s possible for you to track the ROI of your direct mail campaigns so you know how effective they are at generating leads.
Conclusion
If you’re still on the fence about using direct mail, consider this: it’s an effective marketing tool that hasn’t changed much over time. That’s because it works. You can create your own campaign quickly and easily, and start getting results right away. And if you want help with the design of your piece or finding the right list to target, just let us know!
