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Direct mail marketing is an integral part of a well-balanced marketing mix. However, just like any other marketing strategy, it won’t succeed without the right combination of elements. To ensure your direct mail piece gets the best response, there are a few things you want to make sure you don’t overlook.

Target the Right Prospects. Your direct mail marketing campaign won’t be very successful if it doesn’t reach the people who might actually be interested in your product or service. Targeted marketing is key to improving response rates and it will also help keep expenses for your direct mail marketing campaign down.

Make Your Direct Mail Piece Stand Out. People receive a lot of mail every day. Don’t let your mail piece get lost in the pile. Your mail piece should be eye-catching with an appealing headline to draw people in. You might also want to consider sending out larger mail pieces as well, this can help it stand out even more.

Communicate Benefits, Not Features. In most cases, your target audience doesn’t care about your company. They care about what your company can do for them. In your direct mail marketing campaign, don’t just list off features, tell people how those features will benefit them. Your direct mail marketing should be about the consumer and their needs.

A Clear Call to Action. If you want people to buy from you, you have to ask for the business. If you don’t include a call to action, your direct mail campaign is simply creating greater brand awareness. Your call to action needs to stand out. Don’t just list phone numbers, ask the reader to make the call. Ask the reader to visit your website, come to the store, etc. Don’t assume they will “get it”, ask for it. If you don’t tell those who receive your mail piece what you want them to do, they will most likely do nothing.

Use Their Language. If your mail piece is full of industry specific jargon, you run the risk of alienating a large portion of your prospects. Find out what language your customers are using to describe your services, and then join the conversation in their terms.

Give Multiple Ways to Respond. Giving your customers multiple ways to contact you not only generates more responses, it also shows a concern for your clients and their preferred method of communication.

Send Multiple Direct Mail Pieces. Prospects often need to see your message several times before they are likely to do business with you. Don’t send one direct mail piece to a prospect and then forget about them. Send follow-up pieces regularly. This will show your consistency and keep your company’s name in the forefront of their mind the next time they need what you have to offer.

This is just the tip of the iceberg but keep these guidelines in mind for your next direct mail marketing campaign. If you approach it in the right way, direct mail can give you a solid return on your investment. Improving direct mail response rates takes some work, but the extra effort could be extremely rewarding. If you would like to learn more about direct mail strategies, please contact us today. We’d love to visit with you.