One of the highest returns in print marketing: direct mail. But how do you deliver direct mail faster, cheaper and smarter? With years of experience in the print mail industry, our team at Signature Graphics can help you break it down. Keep reading to learn the best tricks to send print marketing materials faster, save money on direct mail and create ads that perform better.
If you’re wondering how to deliver direct mail faster, cheaper and smarter, these ten tips will help you create and send brilliant campaigns that work. Here’s what you can do to gain more successful marketing results.
While you can DIY each step, working with a professional can speed up the process and make sure that you’re creating more responsive advertising. Another thing companies will do to save money is DIY some parts of the process while getting the printing done with a company. While this still works, many people find better results when they hand over the project to someone who knows what they’re doing every step of the way.
Here at Signature Graphics, we offer creative services with our Kobalt Design team, printing, assembling, finishing and even a shipping and delivery team, Archer 3P Logistics. Since everything is connected to our in-house team, it speeds up the process and makes it easier for you to send out a campaign from start to finish.
The fastest way to get your direct mail campaigns to consumers’ mailboxes is to use First-Class mail. However, one of the most affordable methods is your standard USPS marketing mail. Whichever mail class you select, the easiest way to save money is by using USPS mail incentives. By signing up for this program, bulk purchases often result in huge discounts. On top of that, you can partake in certain promotional periods throughout the year that save you even more money. Typically, you can see discounts ranging from 5% to 10%. This discount ensures your ROI stays as high as possible while also saving you money short- and long-term.
To put marketing and customer segmentation into perspective, let’s say you have a glass of water and a filled bathtub. You add only one drop of food coloring to each. Which one is going to be the most colorful? Due to dilution, the glass of water is going to have the most color. Marketing and segmentation work in a similar way. Except the bathtub is your global audience, the glass of water is your local audience and the food dye is your direct mail campaign.
One of the best things you can do for your direct mail campaign and print marketing in general is to send it to a smaller, segmented audience. To segment potential customers, think about where and what your service offers and who your target audience is. From there, you’ll create a few main buyer personas. This is the audience most inclined to buy your product. While these segmented audiences don’t encompass everyone, it saves you money by marketing only to the people most inclined to try your product or service.
After segmenting your potential customers, the next step is to send targeted mail to your ideal buyer personas. With targeted direct mail, you can send your mailings to the ZIP codes most likely to act on your marketing. This often includes the ZIP codes closest to your business. Whether you own a restaurant, fast food stop, automotive mechanic or dealership, landscaping business or any other service or retailer, you can benefit from targeting the ZIP codes closest to you. Since these customers contain more people from your ideal audience, consumers will be more inclined to utilize any offers or promotions you send out. This successfully initiates a strong customer relationship and loyalty if you present your company well on their first visit.
A simple but effective way to save money in your direct mail campaigns is to opt for more affordable print marketing materials. While you want your message to stand out, presenting a clear, unified message that actually gets sent out is more important than not sending out anything because it’s not in your budget. While print marketing can be expensive to start out, it’s worth it time and again because it gets such great, long-lasting results.
Curious how you can save money on your next print marketing campaign? Read our blog, Budget-Friendly Print Marketing Techniques.
Timing matters more than you think. When it comes to direct mail and print marketing, sending materials out at the right time and cadence matters. For direct mail, it’s important to time mailings effectively—whether it’s done for solo mailings or in combination with other marketing channels. Instead of sending tactless mailings whenever you see fit, it helps to consider the buyer’s journey and the best combination of sending.
If you utilize other marketing channels like social media, video advertisements or anything else, it can be helpful to stagger what you’re sending and when. Some campaigns lead with print marketing to get local brand awareness checked off, while others start globally with social. The order and frequency you use depend on your audience’s needs. However, sending within a few weeks of each other usually works best, so the ads are top of mind without becoming too pushy.
For print marketing, it’s best to stay consistent with coupons and promotions. Most retailers and service providers benefit from sending monthly mail with offers and promotions to continue getting customers in the door and providing an edge against other competitors.
Reducing the weight of your mail is a quick fix that can save you some extra money. Instead of sending thick catalogs and other heavy mail, budget-friendly retailers are opting for lightweight options. Brochures, advertising circulars, postcards and more are the preferred choice for cost-savvy shoppers. While catalogs can still be helpful for certain retailers, it can be a nice change of pace for budgets to opt for these lightweight alternatives. That way, companies can save even more on the print marketing and direct mail they send out.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to direct mail. That’s why it’s important to compare different every door direct mail variations. A/B testing is a fantastic way to see what’s working and what’s not. Once you see the results in real-time, this can shape the way you design and print future marketing campaigns. If you’re wondering how to increase ROI with print marketing and direct mail, check out our blog, How to Increase ROI with Print Marketing.
To get the highest return on investment, one of the best things you can do is personalize your print marketing and direct mail materials. Instead of sending out generic messaging that’s applicable to everyone, it helps to embody your ideal audience in your campaigns. Instead of merely sharing product or service details, highlighting the benefits helps immensely.
Gathering consumer data like demographics, buyer behavior and more can help you personalize content even further. You can add customer names to postcards and other print marketing mailings to stand out. Bridging marketing channels and creating landing pages that merge flawlessly with your print ads can also garner great results.
Another easy way to deliver direct mail faster, cheaper and smarter is to use omnichannel marketing by combining print mail with digital marketing. The combination helps bring more dimension to your brand. Oftentimes, print marketing or direct mail plant consumer awareness while digital marketing helps increase trust and ensure interest grows. Plus, adding QR codes and other engaging call to actions (CTAs) to your direct mail makes it even easier to track consumer data and use that information to improve future campaigns.
Read More: Combining Traditional Print and Digital Marketing
After learning how to deliver direct mail faster, cheaper and smarter, you’ll be able to see enhanced ROI and improve future campaigns. If you need help with your design, print, assembly or delivery, our team at Signature Graphics can assist. Our expert team offers comprehensive and à la carte options so you can get the exact services you need. Ready to get started?
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