3 Pitfalls to Avoid When Incorporating a Direct Mail Program

Digital marketing keeps hitting roadblocks — think Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation or the California Consumer Privacy Act. Fortunately, online advertising and email marketing aren’t the only ways to attract new leads or increase sales conversions. Direct mail offers a cost-effective, high-return alternative that doesn’t carry the same privacy downsides.

But first, what are the marketing-related issues the GDPR and CCPA bring? The GDPR makes email marketing more challenging because it puts the onus on companies to initiate double consumer opt-ins and seamless unsubscribe opt-outs. Naturally, fewer people will agree to receive emails given this extra step — and more might ask to be removed from email lists.

When it comes to the CCPA, organizations advertising to Californians aren’t allowed to mingle their first-party data with another entity’s third-party data. As a result, this law gives more control to consumers over how and when their personal information is used on the web. Case in point: Businesses can’t as easily display targeted messages in their apps if those messages are informed based on data derived from a third-party source. That’s a huge downside for companies accustomed to leveraging first-party and third-party data alike.

How Marketers Are Moving Forward

To avoid losing momentum due to these GDPR and CCPA mandates, plenty of marketers are folding direct mail into their marketing campaign mixes. They’re also finding out that direct mail offers tons of upsides beyond being simply a tangible way to connect brands with consumers outside of the digital realm (although that’s certainly a big benefit).

For instance, direct mail promises some pretty enticing returns, from an up to 90% open rate to a return on investment of nearly 30%. Additionally, more than 7 in 10 Millennials report feeling an emotional connection when they receive something personalized in the mail. That makes it hard to deny that direct mail can be a winning bet — and especially for younger folks.

Of course, you can’t just move your digital marketing offline and cross your fingers that your open rates will jump from 15% to 90% overnight. You’ll need to create a marketing plan that’s set up to maximize the power of direct mail, all while strategically avoiding common stumbling blocks.

Stumbling Block No. 1: Content That Doesn’t Resonate With Audiences

Of course, the content you use for your direct mail pieces must engage your audience members and encourage them to take action. This means you have to know the language that will be most effective in motivating them.

One way to say the right thing in the right way is to segment your direct mail recipients. Then, construct messaging that’s meant for each audience. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, though; simply making a few relevant wording tweaks based on a customer’s past buying behavior can make a piece of mail stand out and seem personalized.

Stumbling Block No. 2: Not Scrubbing Your Data Regularly

With direct mail, you can expect to have hard costs associated with printing and delivery. Consequently, you want very few pieces to end up in the “undeliverable” category. The way to make certain your money is well-spent is to clean your personal data and lists. Ensure each recipient still lives or works at the same place. That way, you won’t end up relying on inaccurate data (and paying for it later).

When your data is fresh and scrubbed, though, you can truly make the most of it. One example would be to customize pieces with recipients’ correct names to potentially improve response rates by 135%. And if you include other individualized data throughout your messaging, the response rate increase could soar to 500%.

Stumbling Block No. 3: Putting Unrealistic Measurement Time Frames in Place

With digital marketing campaigns, you can expect to receive quantitative or qualitative feedback almost immediately after your email is sent or your ad goes live. With direct mail, however, you have to be more patient. Direct mail has a much longer measurement “tail,” and as such, you might need to extend your promotional window predictions

Let’s say you send out life event marketing greeting cards to prospects. You include a notecard with a QR code to visit a landing page on your site and take advantage of a special deal. Don’t be surprised if people convert quite a while after you assumed they might. If this is one of your prospect’s first experiences with your brand, the prospect might wait to engage and buy. But that doesn’t mean your direct mail piece isn’t working.

Want to Get Started With Direct Mail?

At Hallmark Business Connections, we regularly help our partners break through the digital chatter and connect with consumers through direct mail. Our team can help you avoid the pitfalls of leveraging direct mail and make it a powerful tool in your marketing portfolio. To learn more, click here to read about our services.