5 Ways to Integrate Your Direct Mail & Digital Marketing

As digital marketing has become mainstream, offline channels such as postcards, coupons and flyers, have found a new lease on life. That’s why successful businesses are embracing an integrated marketing approach to attract and convert their target market. 

Why You Should Integrate Your Offline and Online Marketing 

• Get noticed by engaging customers everywhere they are—that’s both virtual and physical worlds.
• A consistent brand experience across channels will strengthen your brand identity, win trust and brand loyalty.
• You’ll have a stronger marketing strategy to reach, engage and retain more customers

Multichannel and Omnichannel Marketing—What’s the Difference?

You can take a multi-channel marketing or an omnichannel marketing approach to integrate your marketing efforts. Both use multiple channels. Your business goals and resources will determine which approach works for you.

Multichannel marketing allows customers to engage with a brand on the channels they prefer: Web, social media, direct mail, print or digital ads. Each channel has a distinct strategy with the brand at the centre.

Omnichannel marketing provides a seamless customer experience as they channel hop. It centres around the customer, tracking their behaviour to deliver consistent, updated and relevant experiences across channels.

5 Easy Ways to Integrate Your Marketing

1. Add direct mail to your marketing mix

With digital noise getting louder, people are becoming more interested in their physical mailbox. Adding direct mail to your marketing tactics will keep you top of mind for longer than a few seconds. Mailed catalogues don’t disappear after an email, web page or device is closed. Using a direct mail partner will ensure you’re hitting the right demographics efficiently. 

2. Use direct mail to drive traffic to digital 

Use postcards with a compelling offer to drive traffic to your website, social media pages, or to download your app. Use a tracked landing page URL or a QR code to lead customers to the related content. PURLs or personalized URLs are enticing while a unique promo code is hard to resist. Tracking these allows you to see who engages with your direct mail and retarget them on digital channels, like Facebook and Google, for a powerful omnichannel experience.

3. Create personalized experiences

Personalizing both email and direct mail will really get you noticed. Drawing from your database, use your customers’ names, and provide relevant content, offers and directions to a nearby physical location. Use language that speaks to your audience and drive them to the online platforms where they are active. 

4. Link offline tactics to your email 

Reaching customers through both their mailbox and inbox can significantly increase engagement and Return On Investment (ROI). Send an email before and after you send them personalized direct mail, keeping your messaging consistent across the channels. 

5. Leverage social media

Integrate your direct mail with your social media by:

• Posting digital versions of direct mail ads to your social media pages
• Using campaign hashtags on direct mail
• Announcing a social media contest or a user-generated content campaign through a postcard

Done right, these multi-channel marketing tactics will strengthen your brand identity, expand your reach, engage people likely to purchase from you, and increase your ROI. What’s more, it’ll give you meaningful insights to plan effective integrated marketing for the future.

Learn more about campaign tracking and DRMG Insight to get the most out of your marketing dollars.