Email marketing seems like a quick and easy way to reach your intended audience. But spam filters are working hard to block any content deemed unwanted by email users. Your simple email marketing campaign may not seem like a great idea once you realize how often non-profit emails get sent to a spam folder.
Non-profit and charity organizations suffer when they try to reach people through email. Around 25 percent of marketing emails never make it to the person they are intended to reach. Frequently used words like free, donate, and give are immediate red flags to some spam filters. It’s incredibly difficult for non-profits to breakdown spam filter barriers. But there are ways to reach your audience that don’t involve finding a way around a spam filter.
Direct Mail vs. Email Marketing
Direct mail is the best alternative to email marketing. There are no spam filters to worry about when you use a direct mail approach. There are several other benefits to choosing physical mail over email.
Less Flooded
A mailbox is less likely to be as overloaded as someone’s inbox. Most people are flooded with emails all day, every day. But their physical mail arrives once a day. No one has to check for their mail again after it’s delivered that day. Your audience has a set time they will read your mailer, which is less strenuous than remembering to read emails all day.
More Trust
You develop more trust by reaching out through physical mail instead of digital correspondence. Hackers are constantly breaking into security sites, and identity theft is a real threat. People trust electronic communications less and less. Phishing emails are prevalent, and people don’t trust email attachments or links anymore. Sometimes, even images get filtered through a spam filter. People trust physical communications more than email messages now, so direct mail is a better way to build trust with your members.
Personal Touch
You can add a much more personal touch to a mail piece compared to an email. Most email messages feel like a canned response. But physical mail feels personal. Personalize your messages based on the audience. Use compelling images, fun fonts, and colorful backgrounds to grab your reader’s attention. Your audience is more likely to engage with your content thoroughly when the content is lively and fun.
Make Your Mail Stand Out
You don’t want people to toss out your direct mail without reading it. You need to take steps to make sure your mail is distinguishable. Think about the mail you receive. Which pieces do you read, and which mailers do you throw out? Usually, the mailers that look like standard junk mail go directly into the garbage bin. Here are some ways to make your mail not look like junk.
MyFont
MyFont is a digital technology that lets you integrate handwritten messages into your direct mail. This is a highly personalized approach. The words appear as if written by a human hand, but you don’t need to sit down and write each letter yourself. Instead, the MyFont machine does the work for you, which allows your mailers to stand out from the standard typed mail most people receive.
Mail Inserts
Mail inserts are a fantastic way to avoid looking like junk mail. You can include additional promotions or expand your mailed offerings on the insert. Inserts allow you to customize your message even more to your audience.
Seasonal Approach
Updating your campaign’s message and appearance seasonally is the perfect way to increase interaction with your mailers. Regularly updating the mail’s imagery and colors keeps your audience intrigued. New information and details will help your members notice your message each time you send new mailers.
Direct Mail through Valtim
Valtim understands the benefits that direct mail offers compared to email marketing. You don’t need to worry about your message filtering into a spam folder when you choose a direct mail communication. We also offer multiple ways to personalize your direct mail messaging so that it doesn’t look like junk mail.
Valtim exclusively offers MyFont, which will make your message appear handwritten to the reader. We can also help you build mail inserts to grab your audience’s attention more and help direct you along with the design approach. Reach out to Valtim to see how to start your next direct mail project.