Summer is a great time to create a mailing campaign. As the weather gets better (hopefully!) and people’s thoughts turn to holidays we are all a bit more open to receiving information about special offers, or a simple reminder that your business is still there if the customer hasn’t been in touch for a while.
Why a direct mail piece instead of a quick and easy email? Well, in the competition for attention, direct mail is the winner on many different fronts.
Royal Mail research in 2017 reported that 87% of people thought mail was believable (compared to just 48% saying the same about email). 70% of people said mail made them feel valued and the same number said mail gave them a better impression of the company.
If that wasn’t enough, a Brand Science review of multi-channel campaigns concluded that those with a mailing element had a 12% larger Return on Investment.
Now we’ve convinced you that it’s worth the investment, here are our 3.5 top tips for creating an effective mailing campaign.
1. Define your key messages…
Have you got a product that’s especially relevant at this time of year or something you can do a big discount on? Or is your mailing campaign simply a Remember us? kind of message Be clear about the purpose of your mailing and what you want people to do as a result and you’ll end up with much tighter messages that your audience are more likely to respond to
2. …then focus on your audience
Having sorted out the purpose of your mailing, what you actually say needs to be less about you and more about what your audience wants to hear. So think about your key messages from their perspective. What benefits do your services bring them? What problem do they have that you can solve?
3. Use awesome imagery
Whether it’s a graphic or photographic style, imagery can make or break a mailing’s impact as it drops through the letterbox. If you’re planning a postcard the imagery you use will be immediately visible. (For more on postcards, check out our MD Mike’s LinkedIn article here). If you’re sending something in an envelope you might want to think about the message on the outside that will tempt them to open it. Boden does this particularly well with coloured envelopes featuring quintessentially Boden graphics so the receiver knows what they are about to open.
3.5 Don’t forget digital
Despite using a physical mailing to get their attention, most consumers will be happy to engage or purchase online as a result. Make sure you reference your online channels for a greater chance of capturing those orders or enquiries
If you’re not sure about how to pitch your next mailing campaign or want advice on the various options available to you, give one of our friendly team a call on 01924 284330.
