Adding a Personal Touch

In many ways, direct mail is already more personal than online marketing. Even the most accurately targeted online ad is just a multicoloured blur that passes by when you’re scrolling through it on your phone.

A More Personal Approach

Direct mail is more than just a banner on a website or a paid post shoehorned into your timeline. It’s a physical artefact, something that can be held and touched. That alone means it makes more of a connection than its online equivalent. It’s no wonder direct marketing consistently results in higher levels of engagement across all demographics.

But is there a way to up the ante? Is it possible to make the experience of receiving direct mail even more personal and engaging? In this article, we’re going to look at five simple ways to do just that and maximise your direct marketing campaign.

Make It Special

A flyer offering a discount at a local store might generate some interest. However, an embossed invitation to an exclusive event, printed on thick card stock, will have customers lining up outside your store. Use black ink on gold card and crimp the edges to make it look high-end and stylish. Point out that this event is by invitation only. This is not a piece of junk mail to be cast aside. This is something important that should be stuck on the fridge until the big day.

Make Them Contact You

Engagement is a two-way street. You can send out pages and pages of printed literature, but you can’t tell if you have your audience hooked unless they contact you. If you’re running an in-store promotion, include a call to action for the recipient to call you and reserve their place. Pop a QR code on the leaflet that will take them to a landing page on your website if they want more information about your product or service. Even a tear-off coupon with a barcode can work when it comes to tallying responses and engagement.

Everyone Loves A Freebie

It’s true! If you want someone to think favourably about your company, give them something for free. They didn’t ask for it, and they may not even want it, but they will remember it and your company with it. Practical items are the best. If you sent out a market research survey, give them a pen to fill it in. Promoting a new product? Include a sample if at all possible. It doesn’t even need to be a physical item. Once again, QR codes on printed literature are your friend. Include one that takes your audience to your YouTube channel, where you get to tell them your story in video form. Being given something for free triggers a need to reciprocate in people, which often leads to positive engagement.

Make It About Them

While it’s not easy to start a viral trend, the right mix of wacky prompts and a strong social media presence can at least create a ripple of excitement among your user base. Tell your customers to take a photo of themselves using your product—the more outlandish the better. Encourage them to challenge their friends on Instagram or TikTok. Even offer a prize for the entry with the most retweets or likes, and don’t forget the official hashtag!

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