How To Design A Successful Direct Mail Campaign

By Direct Mail (DM), we are talking about a promotional card delivered to your target market by post or letterbox drop.


Ok, here's some Marketing 101. You may have heard of the advertising acronym AIDA – all advertising should create Attention, Interest, Desire and then lead to Action.

Here are 7 Simple DM Tips (And these ideas to translate to Online Database Marketing Mostly!:

1. The only way to be remembered in a cluttered market is to repeat a simple, compelling, single-minded message. Don't fall into the trap that your DM piece should try and list every product or service your company is known for. Stick to one product, service or message at a time. Sounds crazy that less is more, but this technique will definitely increase your inquiry rate. For example, if you are a builder. For a 2 month period, instead of advertising that your services include building homes, renovations and additions, just concentrate on being the “new home” specialists. The next campaign, concentrate on renovations and so on.
   
2. Don't be fooled into thinking one mail shot to your target market is good enough. If you have created the right targeted message, send the same DM each month for 3 months to make sure your message gets through.
   
3. Test and measure. Most DM experts suggest slightly altering your message (say 4 different options) and after delivery of them all, record the success of each DM creative. They may each be advertising 4 different landing pages on your website or have a slightly different offer to redeem. When you are starting out, this will help you determine which flyer to mass-produce.
   
4. Integrate your message with the rest of your marketing. We recommend that your DM campaign message flow through to your website frontpage, email footer, invoice advert, enewsletter and online & print advertising. Your DM should always be linked to an order form or “contact for more” form on your website. If you've had anything to do with Dell Computers; their marketing department are awesome at this integration.
   
5. Quirky is key for creating attention. For direct mail campaigns, don't just use a standard stock image or product shot with a tagline. Bor-ing! Be creative and get a designer to merge two completely different images to draw attention. Eg a chicken and a photocopier.
   
6. To create strong desire and a call to action, make sure you have a great offer attached. If you are giving something for free, list the value price of this (eg consultation worth $500).Always, always put an expiry date on your offer and don't make the offer seem too good to be true – Aussies are very skeptical.
   
7. If your DM is addressed, allow people the ability to unsubscribe from your correspondence. A simple way is to set up a form on your website and, in small print on the DM piece, refer people to the form or a fax number.