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Making Direct Mail Work For Your Company

Direct Mail is still an effective way to reach your customers, look how much mail most of us receive at home from the large B2C companies; they simply wouldn't invest in it if it didn't work! The key to good direct mail is to follow a simple process and make sure that you maximise each element.

Define your target audience carefully; mass mailing randomly is simply not cost effective, particularly in a B2B environment. You'll want to tailor your message specifically to your audience.  An IT director is going to want to know different things about your products than a finance director.

Consider segmenting your market; A company who makes widgets is going to be more interested in a solution tailored to widget makers than to accountants. Market segmentation can be as simple as putting companies into manufacturing, retailing, professional services etc. or as specific as companies who make widgets and companies who make widget holders.

Tailor your message to your audience. You will want to highlight your unique benefits that are relevant to your audience. Your contact with your prospect should therefore consider the type of language you use for their role and for their market. Remember though that any contact you have at this stage must focus on benefits and not features and this cannot be emphasised enough. I'm sure you've heard it all before but remember your mailing must answer the question 'what's in it for me?'.

The devil is in the data; Unfocussed, untargeted mass mailing will just give you a bad name and be counter-productive. Getting hold of an inexpensive list may seem like a bargain but you should check its provenance.  How accurate is the information, when was it last updated? If a list provider tells you it's constantly updated then this may be the case but if it holds a million names then on an individual record basis I could be years old so ask the average age of the data instead as this will be more useful. A smaller list is much more likely to be up to date than a large one for the reason above.

Check the source of the data. Is it from an exhibition? If so then it will not have been updated so if it's more than about six months old it will be somewhat out of date. Also check how easy it is to segment the data. Can you select the records you need? A list provider should be prepared to provide you with some samples using your selection criteria. Also check their guaranteed accuracy levels, they should give you one!

You will also need to decide if you are purchasing a list for single or multiple use. If you can afford it I would always recommend multiple use because it can take several contacts with a prospect before you register with them.  Don't forget to check the list includes all the details you need, obviously name and address but do you want to perform telemarketing on the list? How about a follow up email? Finally, If you are combining your own data with a purchased list then don’t forget to de-duplicate, sending the same person your mailing twice will upset them and is a waste of money!

Consider the format and creative of your mailing carefully. A simple letter can be extremely effective and is the most cost effective option. Using a 'p.s.' does work so try to encapsulate your key message in one short sentence to put at the bottom. Personalisation works as long as you get it right otherwise forget the 'Dear' altogether. Don't forget to put a 'call to action' telling them what you want them to do.

If you are designing an insert for your mailing then you will want to think of longevity and cost effectiveness of the mailer. Can you use it for multiple audiences by including a letter too? What is its purpose? One of the most effective mailings I have ever seen was a balloon in a box sent to the MD of a company I was working at. He walked around the office with the balloon all day saying how rubbish marketing is, but clearly it worked in this instance and the message was obvious to everyone who saw the balloon. Just don’t try to be too clever, anything like this needs an obvious connection and message or it simply won't work.

You could try a test sample mailing of two or more pieces and see which gets the best results. This is a particularly effective technique if you are planning a truly mass mailing to thousands of recipients. Randomly select an equal number of names for each piece and then make sure you can identify which piece a contact is responding to, perhaps by giving them a unique reference for each. You can then compare results side by side and perhaps refine it again until you are happy to mail your entire list.

When you actually come to post your mailing there are plenty of companies who specialise in mailing and, dependent upon the list you buy, you may need to use a bonded mail house anyway. Remember to add a couple of test names in the list so that you know the mailing was sent out on time and use surnames with different letters of the alphabet and different addresses so that you know that a high percentage of the list is sent.

Finally make sure you have a return address on your envelopes as you really do need to know about failures and  you want to be able to keep your database up to date, particularly if you have a bought the list for multiple use.

If you need help with your direct mail, or would like to implement an integrated lead generation campaign using mixed media then why not contact us and see if we can help you? If you have a question about anything above then feel free to ask us and we'll do our best to help you.

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