Analysis Of Direct Mail Facts
It is estimated that over 200 billion pieces of mail are handled by the US Postal Service every year. A significant percentage of this is direct mail marketing pieces. Moreover, according to Advertising Age, companies spend an average of $55,000 for direct mail in terms of ad spending. With the number of advertising medium that are in place today, the average consumer receives from 3000 to 5000 messages every day. These are just a few direct mail facts that give us an idea about how big the direct mail industry has become. Direct mail is a common direct marketing medium wherein marketing communications are sent to customers through a postal service. This marketing strategy is typically used by businesses to increase their sales and profits, increase their customer base and increase awareness of customers about their products and services. It has also been found to be an effective way of promoting new products and services. However, before any company should launch a direct mail campaign, it is recommended that it determines first its target market and what their product or service can offer to this market.
Evaluation and review of relevant direct mail facts is very important during the conceptualization of the direct mail campaign. These facts should be considered because they give marketers an idea about how the average consumer behaves. By studying customer behavior, marketers can make adjustments in their direct mail campaigns so as to increase its efficiency and improve response rates of customers. These facts, likewise, inform marketers about what should be avoided when doing launching this direct marketing strategy. Costs for direct mail campaigns are also important direct mail facts that companies should consider during the planning stage. Included in these are expenses for postage, mail piece design, printing of marketing materials, purchase of mailing lists, mail house processing and order fulfillment. Direct mail facts pertaining to competitors and their direct mail campaigns are also important in gaining a competitive advantage over them. Through this information, a company can learn something from the marketing mistakes that a competitor has committed. It will also help companies understand how customers, in general, respond to any marketing stimuli. Other relevant direct mail facts include which direct mail format works best for a certain budget, which envelope design is effective, which direct mail format creates higher response rates, which fulfillment service is very useful to companies and the response rates of customers from previous direct mail campaigns. These data should be carefully analyzed before any marketing campaign should commence to minimize the risk of failure. Moreover, direct mail facts are also important tools in evaluating direct mail campaigns and measuring its effectiveness. Response rates of customers and a comparative analysis of cost versus profit are important considerations. The performance and satisfaction ratings of fulfillment houses and direct mail companies will also help companies determine if it is cost-efficient for them to continue to outsource the services that they offer. In general, these facts dictate the next course of action a company must take in order to continually generate profits. |