Direct mail marketing distributes promotional materials such as postcards, catalogs or letters directly to customers’ mailboxes. It offers a refreshing change, something people can hold and take time to read.
Today’s consumers receive just a handful of physical mail each week yet receive thousands of emails monthly. According to a survey by USPS, direct mail is most likely to lead to website visits, purchases and program signups and its success is easy to track through unique offers, promo codes or dedicated landing pages. Personalization further enhances the impact, making each piece feel customized for the recipient.
Launching a direct mail campaign is straightforward, and follows three key steps: target, print and mail.
Step 1: Target
Begin the direct mail marketing process by defining your audience – who are you trying to reach?
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Demographics: Consider age, gender, marital status, race, occupation, number of children in the household and education levels.
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Location: Focus on customers in specific geographic areas, such as local neighborhoods or specific regions.
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Behavior: Analyze purchasing history, lifestyle choices or needs (e.g., homeowners, business owners).
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Financial Indicators: Factor in home value, household income or net worth.
This can be accomplished in 2 ways:
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Customer-Provided List: The client provides a spreadsheet list (e.g., .xls, .csv) for mailing. Consistency is key, and lists are processed for updates through the National Change of Address (NCOA) system.
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Purchased Mailing List: Mailing lists can be purchased based on demographic data like age, income, homeownership, and education. Lists typically cost between $100 and $200, depending on complexity.
Step 2: Print
The second step – printing – involves making key decisions about the overall look and feel of your direct mail piece. This includes selecting the right graphic design elements, such as colors, images and fonts, to match your branding and appeal to your audience. You’ll also need to choose the format, whether it’s a postcard, brochure, letter or catalog. According to data from USPS, the most common direct mail formats are newsletters, postcards and folded mailers. Additional choices in this step of the direct mail process include paper type and quality as well as any special finishes like gloss, matte or embossing, which can make your mail stand out.
And lastly, determine whether the content will be personalized or if generic content would be better suited for your needs. Direct mail marketing campaigns often include a clear call to action, such as visiting a website, calling a phone number or redeeming a coupon. This step in the process also includes adding elements like unique offer codes or specific websites to track and measure the response rate and return of investment of direct mail campaigns.
Step 3: Mail
In the final step – mailing – you’ll need to plan for postage options and delivery logistics. Postage rates vary depending on the type of mail and quantity, with bulk mail rates applying for larger volumes. Other factors affect postage like mail piece size and weight. Keep in mind that “Letter” doesn’t mean what you may think (a weight of more than 3.5 ounces affects the postage rate) and that “Flat” also refers to size, not shape (a weight of more than 4 ounces affects the postage rate). This step also includes choosing and printing the right indicia, applying Intelligent Mail Barcodes, sorting mail by zip code, palletizing the finished product and completing USPS paperwork before scheduling delivery to the post office.
Target, Print & Mail is What We Do
Our expert team at Target Print & Mail is here to guide you through every step of the direct mail marketing process. In fact, we’re so skilled in the areas of targeting, printing, and mailing that we named our company after them! Get started by requesting a quote today or calling our team at (850) 671-6600.
