Direct mail plays a critical role in business marketing strategies but there are some common mistakes that can bring businesses undone. The following do's and don'ts will help you to ensure that you get maximum results from your next campaign:
- Highlight the product benefits that are relevant to your audience and keep it simple.
Never choose hype over fact. - Make sure you test for usability before distribution and avoid sending out mail that lacks real impact.
Effective testing ensures your direct mail campaign works for your audience. - Make sure you have a great headline. You only have a few seconds to grab the reader's attention so a good headline is critical.
One of the primary reasons we toss direct mail quickly is because it doesn't get our attention immediately. - Ensure your direct marketing piece has visual appeal and meaningful content.
Design and content are both important, sacrificing one for the other will significantly reduce the effectiveness of your campaign. - Follow-up procedures should be planned in advance to improve your conversion rate.
Sending out materials with no follow-up plan is a common direct marketing mistake which results in lost sales. - Always undertake research before your campaign as it gives you valuable insight into what works well and what doesn't.
This ensures you get the most out of your direct marketing spend by delivering a campaign that works. - Ensure your mailing list is up-to-date and accurately represents your target audience.
Using a list that doesn't feature the right customers is possibly the biggest direct mail mistake you can make. - Whether it's 25 words or 100 make sure you use the right language to speak to your customer. The key question to ask is who are we talking to?
Copy that doesn't speak to your audience won't grab the reader's attention and they won't buy your product or service. - Encourage the recipient to act. An effective direct mail campaign will tell the reader what you want them to do. No matter what that is it must be clear to the customer.
Not including a call to action will significantly reduce your response rate. - Always make sure the contact details are correct so you don't lose valuable sales. Inaccurate information will negatively impact the value of a great direct marketing piece.
