How to Use Direct Mail to Reach More Customers

By: Ashlee McNicol

When the average person sees up to 10,000 brand messages per day, you have to get creative to make your message stand out.

What if we told you that instead of broadcasting a general message and just hoping someone will respond that there’s a way to send personalized messages to a targeted list of leads?

By using direct mail marketing, you can send your message only to customers who may be interested. Not only does this save you time and money, it makes your message resonate with the right people for better results.

What is Direct Mail Marketing?

Direct mail marketing is a highly targeted system where you mail out promotional print materials to your ideal customers. This prompts them to take action by requesting information about your offer.

Many businesses use direct mail because:
• It’s simple to use and track results.
• It’s personal.
• It’s cost effective.

According to a recent study, direct mail also results in a 10 to 30 times higher response rate than digital marketing messages.
Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Build a Mailing List

Before you launch your direct mail marketing campaign, you must first identify your ideal customers. Once you’ve established these customers’ identities, you can build a mailing list.

Direct mail can help you reach more customers by targeting your leads that have a higher chance of responding based on their lifestyle, location, demographics, etc.

Step 2: Create Your Direct Mail Piece

Now that you’ve compiled a targeted mailing list, you need to create a direct mail piece.
Direct mail may be a print material such as a flyer or post card.

Successful direct mail includes the following:
• An attention-grabbing headline
• An offer and how you can deliver on the offer
• A strong call to action
• A unique way to track responses (i.e. phone number, website URL, coupon code, etc.)

Step 3: Print and Deploy

Once you have your mailing list and direct mail piece, your printing company will print and mail.

SmithPrint makes this process simple by using digital presses, which enable us to create highly personalized Variable Data Printing (VDP). We also work with Toolbox Studios to add the power of Cross Media Marketing to create a lead-generating campaign, giving you the best results possible.

Step 4: Track Conversions

After your direct mail has been delivered, tracking results is simple. All you need to do is monitor how many people have contacted you using your unique tracking method.
No matter your goal, direct mail can help you achieve it.
Ready to Try Direct Mail?
Contact us today to see how our direct mail service can help your business reach more customers. We’d love to hear from you.