In a world saturated by an overwhelming number of digital ads, there is still value in good old-fashioned print media. For many businesses, Direct Mail advertising offers an alternative avenue to reach new customers, build relationships, test out products and services, and try out a different marketing initiative.
According to Canada Post’s Smartmail marketing team, there is a 20% higher motivation response to direct mail as opposed to digital media, and 57% of customers feel more valued when brands contact them through regular mail. Furthermore, 47% of customers physically visited a store as a result of direct mail. This means more in-person time and a chance to build stronger relationships face to face with customers.
Both shared and solo direct mail campaigns have benefits. Through shared direct mail products, companies share the cost with other businesses which helps save on advertising dollars. On the other hand, solo direct mail has the potential for higher exposure and a greater likelihood of generating more leads. Both offer separate benefits but as a combined shared direct mail initiative they are even more effective.
As a small to medium-sized business, there are plenty of pros to consider when combining direct mail advertising with solo mail and a shared direct mail product, including:
Wider audience
The ability to broadcast to a larger audience of new customers means that you may discover new customers in different areas that you may not be able to reach through a shared direct mail piece alone (or vice versa). This combination has a huge impact on ROI, especially with an increased frequency of deployment as opposed to a one-time send out (tip: frequency is also linked to success). Further targeting of new customers allows you to personalize your additional messages.
Boost sales
Increased coverage through a broader audience results in improved lead generation and sales for your business. Consider timing the deployment of your direct mail initiatives to overlap for an exclusive deal (i.e. an ad in a shared direct mail product can point to an offer in your standalone solo mail piece that the customer must collect to use).
Ability to renew stagnant sales of a particular product or service
If you have a certain product or service that hasn’t been performing well, or customers that you haven’t heard from in a while, a robust shared mail and solo mail campaign can provide a two-fold approach of compelling content that’s highly informative as well as a standalone ad, promotion or discount to draw them back in.
Improve customer database and loyalty
A higher audience reach also means an increase in your database for other marketing initiatives and special offers to provide to loyal customers. Used in correlation with additional customer loyalty strategies, your customers will start to look forward to your direct mail pieces even more.
Cost-effective
In the past, many businesses have avoided employing standalone direct mail advertising opportunities because they’ve been hit with high costs that don’t work for their budget. But with a combined solo mail and shared direct mail product, there is flexibility and savings.
At DRMG, we offer a variety of campaign options, including direct mail postcards and 3-panel flyers as part of our direct mail flyer campaign, and our shared mail products provide the advantage of sharing costs with Canada Post to save money. Another benefit is that everything is done in house, so the cost of design, delivery, and strategy are all covered in the cost per mailing.
We provide customized options, such as adding the DRMG banner at the bottom of the solo ad (which reduces the cost), and we will ensure that the campaign you choose works with your budget. Through DRMG Insight, you’re able to evaluate what is working and what is not and adjust the campaigns accordingly (for both solo and shared direct mailings). We’d be happy to discuss our recommendations for adjustments and evaluations for your campaign further if you choose to work with us.
If you’re looking for a better way to reach your customers directly, contact us at DRMG to get started on a personalized campaign that works for you.
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