Why Direct Mail Is A Huge Opportunity For B2B Marketers?

There is no doubt that online marketing has taken the world by storm. In our world of digital things, direct mail seems old and boring. You would not want to drive on a carriage to post a letter to a friend, would you? It’s for similar reasons direct mail seems outdated. Not only is online marketing reigning supreme over traditional marketing, but it seems the world has gone mad for and forgot about- the value offline marketing still holds.

One of those offline tactics is Direct Mail Marketing: sending postcards, letters, custom gifts or souvenirs or brochures to the mailbox of your ideal customers. B2B direct mail is a great way to reach customers and maintain a personal contact with your audience. Direct mail marketing is delivered physically to prospects mailbox through any of the postal or delivery service.

Direct mail, while certainly a dinosaur in the world of digital marketing, can still be a powerful weapon in your arsenal: if it’s done correctly and intelligently, of course.

For those, to whom the term “B2B direct mail” seems alien, here are a few questions that you can ask yourself or consider before getting the ball rolling:

• What do you hope to achieve from your first direct mail campaign? Is the campaign meant to generate sales? Build awareness among your target audience? Or to supplement a digital marketing campaign?
• What do you want your direct mail campaign to do for you in the next 6 months? Or next one year? Your long term goals for direct mail marketing might be different from your goals of your first campaign. Still you should know where you would want to go so that you can move in the right direction.
• What skills or assets you have that can be transferable to direct mail marketing? Even if your organization doesn’t have the required talent or skills, you can simply avail direct mail marketing services at a fraction of cost and generate higher returns. The foundations of digital marketing aren’t much different than direct mail. Design assets, copy and target audience can be tested out in a new market.

Once you have answered these questions, your goals and objectives will become more clear. Now the question is what considers the success of a direct mail?

The offer or call to action are very important to the success of the direct mail process. They can either make your campaign sour or make it blend into the background. This is why there are professional copywriters who have great careers in making the offers stand out.

In addition, your audience doesn’t think about your products or services all day long as you do. So, at the minimum your offer needs to clearly tell them:

• What you are selling?
• How it will help them?
• How to get it?

It doesn’t matter if you’re selling consumer products or services to millennials or it’s just a educational content piece for business executives, your offer and CTAs must be clear to the point. But at the minimum it is not going to help your direct mail campaign outperform. For that, you want your offer to be compelling and attractive. And if it is, your audience would probably say yes.

What direct mail marketing offers that online marketing can’t?

Online marketing is great, but offline marketing is proven to drive better results.

Direct mail is more memorable

Think about the great marketing campaigns that you have seen in the last few years. Chances are you’ll roll a whole lot of brands on your fingertips, without even looking at Google. To simply put, direct mail marketing is proven to be better at this than the virtual alternative.

High conversions

Direct mail has a better response rate than email marketing. The ability to reach customers is one of the hardest parts of marketing, so direct mail, unlike email marketing, allows you to allude that pesky spam folder and get in front of your target. You can utilize this opportunity to mention an upcoming event or sale. Evoke a response or drive that person to your website for more information. You are missing out if you’re utilizing your entire budget on email marketing rather than the cost effective direct mail.

Flexibility

Direct mail is flexible as it can serve a variety of several different goals. It can be used as an invitation or a short term promotional tool, like in the form of a coupon or sales collateral. This is one of the most compatible options for a company that has just initially made its way in the marketplace or wants to generate quick revenue.

Direct mail can also be used as a reminder or an informational tool. This is perfect for companies not looking to generate short term sales, but rather establish long-term relationships with their clients. These mailers are usually very personalized and serve the purpose of making an imprint on the mind of your audience.

Direct mails can also be used to gather information about your customer or your company, surveys or questionnaires are a great way to leverage in your direct mail prospecting, serving as an information gateway to your customers and also strengthens the relationship by receiving their opinions.

Effective & efficient

B2B Direct mail is one of the most measurable forms of marketing, you can easily record the mailers that have been sent out, and use coupons and code that have been used. Not only is it measurable but it also allows you to target your recipients more easily, unlike any other marketing methods. Direct mails are personalized to the point that you are able to select geographical target, demographic and even psychological group.

Direct mail stands out

Young people get hundreds of mails in a day but only a few pieces of actual mail. So sending a physical mail rather than a virtual one is a way to stand out from the crowd. Your direct mail should also be unique. Households receive several fliers, leaflets, letters and adverts everyday; in order to grab that targets attention and stand out among others, a marketing agency can help you to create unique and visually appealing direct mail.

Now that you know what direct mailing marketing services can help you scale your business. Once you have made the decision for adopting direct mail:

• Start with your existing customers:

Most of the customers throw away the direct mails from a brand or retailer they don’t find relevant or haven’t heard from them in a while. If your direct mail is not relevant, it will hit the circular file.

• Target your mailing list:

Focus your mailing on people who have already expressed interest either in your business or your category.

• Style it right:

If you are trying to attract millennial consumers, think of your direct mail pieces as Instagram posts. Try keeping the text brief and catchy, streamline the layout, so that it is eye catching.

• Make worthwhile offers:

Most of the consumers are attracted to offers. As email offers for discounts are dime a dozen, and are clogging up the average millennials mailbox. But a glossy postcard or a catalog will catch the eye. Make it worth the customers while, not just a few dollars off.

• Don’t overload them:

Direct mails are special precisely because your customers don’t get them often. Carefully, limit how often you send them to avoid it getting spam or eroding the recipient’s trust.