How to Implement a Successful Direct Mail Campaign

The first five points that will be discussed are all about campaign basics, the remaining three points consist of information about how to measure, track and analyse the campaign.

1) Firstly, targeting the right individual is vital; the campaign should be aimed at the decision maker, and those that may require a need for your product or service.  It is instrumental to the success of the campaign if you understand who the target audience is and then to select a mailing list that is most appropriate. 

2) Every piece of direct communication should carry some form of incentive or offer that persuades the audience to carry out an action.  For example, this incentive may be a discounted price or free gift.  The more intrinsically valuable your offer is, the more likely the audience is likely to respond in a positive way.  You should ensure that the offer is of value to your target audience; discounts tend to create the best results.  However, make sure the offer isn’t too lucrative that it generates a large response rate but brings you no profit.   So, be careful not to give too much away, you want your customers to ultimately buy from you because they believe in your product/service and your brand.

3) The creative content and message needs to be clear, concise and accurate.  It should explain what your product/service is and what the benefits to the consumers are; this should include explaining why they need it.  The copy should also reflect a tone that is associated with your brand personality and will appeal to your target audience.  It is best to include short sentences and bullet points, as you need to draw the readers in quickly and grab their attention. 

4) In regards to the graphics you use, these should also reflect your brand image as well as appealing to the readers.  They should relate to the message you are communicating. Highlighting the offer and important call to action details can increase the response rate.   Make it clear what the call to action should be; do readers need to fill in a form? Or visit a website? Or call a number?  It is also recommended to repeat the call to action, displaying it in the middle of the copy and at the end.

5) As consumers are increasingly becoming cynical about direct marketing and it is often viewed as ‘junk mail’, it is critical that the outer envelope presents a reason for the recipient to open it.  If the outer envelope does not convey importance or create interest in the receiver it is likely to be thrown away straight away.  Some examples of compelling reasons that encourage your target audience to open the envelope could include an offer or your logo (especially for current consumers).  Also, if the envelope stands out in will create interest in the receiver.

6) Measuring the campaign can often be difficult as it is hard to establish exactly which element drove the positive response. Perhaps they responded because they liked the offer, or the colour of the letterhead caused them to contact you.  By creating ‘test cells’ these can help distinguish the key variables that initiate the most responses.  For example, try sending out different combinations of copy and offers to four different sections of your mailing list.  Remember if you do this, all copy should reflect your brand image.

7) Another testing method is using promotional codes or coupons to determine how successful the overall campaign was.  When customers make an enquiry you should also ask him or her where they heard about you.  If carrying out multiple testing cells as described above, you should include a different coupon/promotional code on every of the four different types of direct mail.

Finally, when setting the budget, consider the following types of expenses that you will incur: mailing Lists (this may be free if you utilise your own customer database), paper, printing, postage, the cost of the offer and any marketing agency that assist you in the campaign.