What Affects Direct Mail EffectivenessDirect mail effectiveness is one of the primary reasons why more and more businesses have launched extensive marketing campaigns using this tool. According to statistics, an ordinary consumer is plagued with around three thousand messages each day from businesses that are promoting their products and services. While many customers have complained about receiving junk mail, hundreds of companies maximized their sales and profits through direct mails. According to the Direct Marketing Association, $250 billion worth of products and services get sold through this direct marketing strategy each year. Meanwhile, annual spending on direct mail advertising based on United States Postal Service records is estimated to be around $60 billion every year. One of the factors that contributed to increased direct mail effectiveness is the prohibition of telemarketing in some areas. Telemarketing is another method of direct marketing where selected and random phone numbers are contacted. Direct mail effectiveness could be measured through the number of response cards or order forms that are returned or sent back to the company. To encourage more and more people to respond to direct mails, incentives may be offered such as free items, discounts or free time trial. Also, indicate deadlines in your marketing communications so that customers will tend to respond earlier without them having to hesitate. Response rate could be affected by such factors such as the content of the mail, the offer or the advertised product or service, the timing of the mail and the direct mail database.
Moreover, to increase direct mail effectiveness, companies should know and profile their target customers properly. Only customers who fit the target market profile should be included in the mailing list to make the campaign more efficient. An accurate explanation of what the company has to offer should be relayed to the mailing list broker so he would be able to provide the appropriate list type. The company should also keep a response and compiled mailing list and distinction between both should be noted. A response mailing list is made up of people who have made a response to an offer through mail, phone, television or other mass communication means. A compiled mailing list, on the other hand, is a set of information made from public sources and records such as a courthouse records, phone book, mortgage deed records, bankruptcy filings and the like. The wording and the design used also contributes to direct mail effectiveness. Make it as appealing and as enticing as possible so that customers will be more likely to open the mail. Often, customers send junk mails straight through the trash can. To provide more information about the product or service that is advertised, informative testimonials and brochures may be included in direct mail packages. Responses made by customers should be analyzed and needed adjustments should be made to increase direct mail effectiveness of succeeding marketing campaigns. Cultivating a new market should not only be the primary concern for direct mail marketers. Subsequent marketing communication should be sent to current customers to transform them into loyal customers. |