Online marketing is becoming more and more important every
day as people all over the world use the internet four hours on a daily basis.
Whenever a consumer wants to find a product, service or specific business, the
internet is now the first place that they will look and this will not change
any time soon. Despite the dominance of the internet in the consumer world, direct
mail marketing remains an important cog in the marketing machine.
Direct mail marketing is an extremely useful tool when used
closely in conjunction with other marketing campaigns. By implementing a strong
integrated marketing approach, companies can reach customers across numerous
channels, increasing their brand identity and also keeping them at the top of
the mind for potential customers or clients. Direct mail is one of the cheapest
marketing techniques, however it is also one of the most effective, seeing many
benefits:
Measure for measure -
Efficiency
Direct mail, compared to other marketing strategies, is
quite easy to measure. You can record the number of mailers that are sent out,
and use special coupons or codes to work out the response and conversion rates
of these mailers. As well as being measurable, direct mail also helps you to
target the right group of recipients; direct mail can be personalised to the
extent of selecting a geographical area or even a certain demographic group.
High conversion rate
Due to direct mail marketing being one of the best marketing
strategies to reach the right target audience, it also has a high conversion
rate. Direct mailers can give information on an upcoming sale, event, or
special offer, arousing a response from the customer, either leading to a
direct sale, or drawing them to your website to find out more information. This
helps you to communicate with the customer over different channels, making your
message stronger and having a greater effect.
Unlike other forms of marketing where the message does not
reach the consumer, direct mail marketing largely hits its target. Whilst many
emails go straight to the spam folder, most people will go through their mail
either immediately or on the same day that they receive it.
Versatile tool
Direct mail marketing can also be a somewhat versatile tool,
serving a variety of different purposes. A mailer could be used as an
invitation to an event, or a short term sales tool, such as a promotional
voucher or coupon that is valid only for a certain period of time. This can be
a useful short term approach for new businesses looking to drive initial sales
and interest.
For a longer term goal, direct mail marketing is also a
useful reminder tool, sent out to clients to keep them up to date with your
company. This type of mailer is usually personalised to the specific client,
helping you to strengthen your long term relationship with them. As a contrast,
direct mail can also be used as a way to find out more information on the
client; a survey or questionnaire.
