As a matter of full disclosure, I should state at the onset that I am not a proponent of extensive use of direct mail. I do believe, however, it is one of the tools in your marketing toolbox that can, in very specific situations, be cost effective.
First, let me give you my definition of junk mail. Junk mail characteristics include:
• Mail that is sent with no attempt to qualify how likely the recipient might be interested in what you're offering
• It is obvious that the mailer is attempting to deceive the recipient into opening it
• It contains a deceptive offer which usually requires extensive mice-typed disclaimers
Direct mail, on the other hand, is well-targeted with a powerful (non-deceptive) offer which is simple to understand. A good direct mail piece, in my opinion, should also have a simple call to action and the least amount of conditions and restrictions as possible.
I recently attended a consultation with a high profile research company which studies all forms of marketing and media. In our discussions, the representative indicated that the only truly effective direct mail campaigns were those targeted to existing customers or previous customers. The belief being that people who have done business or are currently doing business with a company are far more receptive to opening or responding to a direct mail solicitation. In our experience, this has been very true for our clients. In fact, one recent campaign targeted to previous customers had over a 12% response rate with significant revenue generation.
Here are a few key elements to reacquire lost customers using direct mail:
• Use variable data whenever possible which specifically references the service or product you used to provide them with
• Make a compelling and genuine value offer for them to return
• Make sure all of your sales/customer service personnel are aware of the campaign and the specifics of the offers
• Use a tracking phone number to be able to document and measure specific performance
The reality is that in this rapidly growing digital world we live in, direct mail (snail mail) is a declining media, but if it is used in selected and targeted ways, it could still yield some cost effective results.
