Direct mail is primarily an outbound marketing strategy, but you can and should use it in conjunction with your inbound marketing. The main objective of direct mail is leading prospects back online so you can continue nurturing them there. Every piece of mail you send should direct prospects online so that you can more easily track them throughout the process. You can include a link to a landing page or provide a code they enter on your website. The more information you have about what sorts of offers they answer to, the better you can address their pain points and distinct needs.
Distinguishing Your Potential Direct Mail Audience
Before you start any marketing campaign, your team should be hyper-focused on your potential member’s preferences and needs. Your main priority is standing out to those who are most likely to appreciate your mission. Finding the right audience is a fundamental step. Inbound marketing is all about meeting prospective members where they are currently.
Creative Ways You Can Incorporate Direct Mail
The usual inbound marketing response is to send an email thanking them for subscribing and assuring them that you will keep them updated. Instead of sending a follow-up email, you can respond with a direct mail piece. You can thank them for subscribing to your website and direct them to some of your most popular web pages. You can even lead them to a landing page with a video that contains a personal message. It will stand out from the mundane marketing messages they usually see.
Instead of sticking with a complete email campaign, you can use a direct mail piece to encourage your prospect to check out an e-book or another offer you have created. You can also provide them with a case study from an organization similar to yours and include compelling statistics. The goal is to educate your prospects on how to address whatever problem you are trying to solve.
Once a prospect is more familiar with your organization, you could host an event they would find useful. Event invitees perceive physical event invitations as more personal, like receiving an invitation to a wedding or birthday party. The physical invitation feels more genuine compared to an emailed version. You can drive event attendance and track your offline efforts by putting a QR code on the invite that encourages invitees to register online.
Direct Traffic to Your Content
The magnificent thing about the internet is that it contains a never-ending stream of ideas and information. The abundance of resources out there can feel overwhelming, though. The most compelling way to assure prospects that you are the best solution is to make yourself the simplest solution. In a mailer, introduce your organization and services as a resource they need. Then direct them to where they can find more information on your website.
Reinforce Your Digital Marketing
Direct mail is a very effective way to supplement an ongoing inbound strategy. If you are promoting an upcoming event or time-sensitive offer on your website, you can promote your efforts with a couple of postcards that direct people to your registration page. You can reel in people based on geolocation and other targeting that might not have come across your promotion in the digital space. Direct mail allows your organization to cover all your bases and add one more entry point for new prospects to find their way to you.
Valtim’s Inbound Marketing and Membership Cards
Direct mail is an effective way to get the momentum moving on your inbound strategy. Use direct mail to target offline prospects, lead them online, and then deposit them into the tide of your inbound flow. Then you can let your content marketing do the rest.
Valtim understands the importance of using direct mail with an inbound marketing strategy. One solution we provide is high-quality membership cards. Membership cards provide an excellent advertising opportunity because of word of mouth. People who have membership cards feel like a part of an elite group. These individuals will likely share your organization’s information and mission with others when they have a physical membership card.
Contact Valtim today to learn more about our membership cards, request a free sample, and view our case studies.
