Direct mail targeting is the use of physical, printed pieces to reach a business’s marketing goals.
Print vs Digital
There’s no doubt we live in a digital world. We consume gigabytes of data to do business, keep in touch, and pay our bills. It’s also how businesses get the word out about their services. And while digital marketing plays an important role in helping businesses succeed, it can feel impersonal. Enter direct mail.
Especially now that so much of our world is digital, getting a printed, tactile piece in the mail makes even more of an impact. It’s even better when the piece is personalized to the recipient. Unsure if that’s the case? Ask yourself if you’d rather get an email from a close friend over a handwritten card, complete with stamp and postmark. Direct mail puts something real into the recipients’ hands, which digital marketing simply cannot do.
Benefits of Direct Mail
Just like any other form of marketing, direct mail can be customized to reach a specific audience. Whether you base your segments off an existing customer list or from collecting raw data, segmenting and defining each group helps build your direct mail strategy.
Direct mail can help drive traffic to websites, social media pages, and more. Want to drive traffic to an online store? Include a coupon code. Want to drive interest for a webcast? Include the time and link. Hosting an event? This invitation can go right on the fridge! Direct mail can serve as a great advertising tool that doesn’t have to compete with the cluttered digital market.
Direct mail can also help increase brand awareness and recognition. It’s the same reason businesses put their logos on coasters, pens, and other collateral. When people interact with the brand as they go about their day, they’re more likely to remember it the next time they encounter it.
Printing
One of the challenges some businesses face when considering direct mail is printing. How do you create a design that will print correctly? What type of mailing will produce the best results? How do we decide between traditional and digital printing? Most businesses are not equipped to answer these questions, and that’s why it’s important to partner with an experienced printing company. At SOULO, we handle all our clients’ printing needs, so that the only thing they have to worry about is setting their goals.
One of the benefits of choosing a professional printing company is the increased options for personalization. This could be custom shapes, customizing names on mailers, specialty finishes, personalized data and messaging, and more. These options help make your mail memorable and convey your brand identity.
Role in the Greater Marketing Strategy
We love direct mail, but we know it’s only one channel of the larger marketing strategy. For marketing efforts to be successful, each channel of the effort must complement the others. With direct mail in mind, this may mean that when creating a social media campaign, a direct mail portion should also be created and launched concurrently with the social campaign. All the brand guidelines that are used for digital marketing should be followed accordingly in direct mail pieces. If you’re doing it right, your brand message should flow seamlessly from one channel to the next with consistent design and content.
Where Do I Start?
Here at SOULO, we have years of experience with both digital and print marketing. We know the power that getting something in the mail can have. Whether you have a strong digital marketing presence or not, SOULO is here to help augment your marketing opportunities with the addition of direct mail.
SOULO is a full-service marketing and communications agency that helps client partners get the most from their projects through signage, printing, and digital marketing. Ready to get started? Contact us today!
