Many organizations have not considered running a direct mail marketing campaign. Young entrepreneurs operating start-ups may have come of age in a moderately or even heavily paperless world. For some young company owners and marketing managers, direct mail marketing may seem outdated. However, there are significant benefits to direct mail, especially when automation is involved.
There is more personalization available when you choose direct mail compared to digital alternatives. The personalization is what makes most recipients value the message of a mailer. But you don’t want to stray completely away from an online presence either. It’s important to find a balance. For now, let’s look at 3 do’s and don’ts for a direct mail campaign.
Direct Mail Do’s
There are several key benefits available through direct mail. Let’s look at some of the key goals you should accomplish when using direct mail campaigns.
Use Print-On-Demand
Choosing to use print-on-demand allows you to print the required number of pieces to fill a specified order. Printing on demand helps avoid excess waste and spoilage. Valtim is a dedicated digital print house and can print projects as low as 7,000 pieces. Valtim can print far large quantities as well. Printing on demand has a lot of other benefits too, like eco-friendly printing, more flexibility, and better audience targeting through geo-mapping. Using print-on-demand will make your marketing efforts easier and simpler than other options currently available.
Target the Right Audience
Your organization needs to target the right audience with the right mailers. Depending on the goals of your marketing endeavor, you will want to carefully select the right type of mailer. The right kind of mailer going to the right person will allow for a better response rate. There are numerous options to choose through Valtim, including postcards, catalogs, newsletters, a classic package, or a self-mailer. When you cater your mailers to your audience, your marketing efforts will have a better outcome compared to an uncaring, random approach.
Use Personalized Mail
Adding a personal touch to your mailers will increase your response rates. Your organization can separate itself from the crowd by including personalized text and images. These unique additions will make your mailers eye-catching and more relevant to your members. With a tailored approach, your direct mail will not feel like an advertisement but a message to an individual. There are other personalized features you can add like including a member’s name or making your font appear like a handwritten letter instead of a standard font. Valtim has a program that allows you to provide messages like actual handwriting, which provides a very human touch.
Direct Mail Don’ts
There are several don’ts to remember for a direct mail project as well. Here are a few that can help reduce some major mail campaign headaches and embarrassments.
Print Without Spell-Checking
There’s nothing more unprofessional than a mailer full of misspelled words. Glaring typos make mailers look like a rushed project. Your organization is going to dedicate valuable time to a marketing project, and it’s critical that multiple people review the content for errors. Linguistically inclined individuals can catch grammatical and punctuation mistakes, but can also review the ease of reading and the flow.
Send Out Impersonal Mailers
Do not send out impersonal mailers. Your efforts will go unnoticed, and your marketing attempts will feel pointless. Direct mail with impersonal messages, such as “Dear Resident”, for example, lack the personal attention to detail important for donor responses. Most people quickly toss away the impersonal mailers without a second thought. Keep your mailers personal so that your message is something people will read and value.
Fail to Drive Traffic Back Online
Direct mail provides an excellent response rate now, but it’s an online presence is still necessary. Your organization should focus on gaining donor interest through multiple channels, including direct mail, and then direct that interest back to your digital spaces where users can more easily interact with your organization. Your mailers can point members to your online content through pURL’s, QR codes, links, and other methods. Pointing members online will allow your organization to benefit from the better response rates direct mail provides while keeping a digital footprint available as well.
Great Mailers Through Valtim
Let Valtim help your organization with your print-on-demand needs. We can also help you choose the right mailer for your targeted audience. Let us show you which mailer provides the most impact for your marketing goals. Valtim can also help your organization provide a personal touch to your mailers. We have a wide selection of customizable options that can allow your mailers to stand out among the others. Reach out to Valtim to see how we can help with your next direct mail project.
