How to create an effective direct mail campaign

With the trend towards online and mobile marketing, direct mail has taken a backseat in today’s advertising strategies. Rightly? Definitely no, as direct mail campaign can be an effective, tangible but often underestimated advertising measure.
Start with finding an engaging headline, one that triggers curiosity and convinces. People get overwhelmed with advertising and its promises today, so you have to stand out. If your headline convinces, also the rest of your mail will get attention. So take your time to gather ideas – the headline is the most crucial part of your whole campaign.
Furthermore, benefits are more convincing than features. Quality, reliability, usability and sustainability – that is what your customers are looking for. Make sure to point out your product’s benefits in the first paragraph of your copy to keep your leads interested. Thereby, be personal. Address your customers by name or for example include pictures of your company or employees.
An effective direct mail campaign should also include a direct call to action. “Call us today”, “Get a free quote” or “Come in and get more information” – encourage your customers to act. However, also make sure that there is an urge to act, for example by offering discounts, set a time limit, etc.
To make your campaign even more effective, combine it with other marketing measures. For example, provide more information to the campaign on your website, to drive more traffic to it. Or refer to your social media sites, blogs etc.
However, it is not enough to send out a mail on occasion. To implement a really successful campaign, you have to track your results. Phone your customers, ask if they have received your mail and give more information. Send out follow-up mails, but make sure not to use exactly the same copy. Get their attention, keep them interested and make your campaign in this way a success.