Direct Mail in 2024: Tips for a Successful Campaign

Marketing campaigns are an essential tactic to business success. Whether your company focuses on digital, print, direct mail, or word of mouth marketing, a marketing campaign ensures you are reaching preferred target markets and helps you track your progress. 

Large and small businesses alike rely heavily on the success of their marketing campaigns to ensure their product and product information is readily available to those it caters to. Direct mail marketing campaigns are the type of campaign your small business needs to stand out in today’s competitive market.

By embarking on a direct mail campaign, your business can speak to consumers, unlike any digital marketing effort. Direct mail marketing is specific to the recipient and, while it does take more effort, that effort translates to the end consumer, giving them the realization that they matter to your business.

After reading through Direct Mail in 2023: Tips for a Successful Campaign, you will have a greater understanding of the benefits of direct mail and how it can make a lasting impression on your target audience.  

Why Should Brands Use Direct Mail in 2023?

Direct mail is an effective strategy in 2023 for multiple reasons. With so many varying ways to market digitally, oftentimes digital ads get lost in the mix. While this can be true of direct mail as well, the increased rate at which consumers are required to perform their jobs on a digital platform has resulted in a decreased desire to look at a screen in their spare time. 

This makes an excellent avenue for direct mail to step in; it is one of the top automotive marketing trends, after all. 

Another reason direct mail marketing campaigns are effective in 2023 is the level at which digital advertising vs. print advertising converts to a sale. It is no secret that the ease of purchasing on a digital platform makes it a favorable option. However, studies have shown that direct mail proves more persuasive than its digital competitor.

Direct mail efforts have changed over the years. In 2023, businesses can expect interactive and highly engaging content that will grab the attention of their readers. It is also vital to mention the significantly decreased cost of print ads as the printing process has evolved. This is why brands should use direct mail in 2023.

You may be wondering, why not just send an email campaign? Email campaigns are an excellent way to reach a lot of consumers in a short period. However, they don’t provide the personal touch that the direct mail service does. With direct mail, marketers can reach their audience with personalization and warmth not available through email. 

5 Direct Mail Marketing Trends to Use in 2023 to Boost Your Business

In the current, competitive marketing world we live in, it can be difficult to boost your business. Here are five trending reasons direct mail marketing is the right option to boost your business in 2023. 

Trend 1: Cost optimization

Digital advertising can be expensive. While it is an effective marketing platform, it may not necessarily be the best option for small businesses as the cost to advertise exceeds the marketing budget. Because of this, these businesses have to find a different platform to reach consumers.

A more cost-effective marketing platform is direct mail. The cost to print, create, and distribute snail mail through a direct mail company is far less expensive than distributing it through a digital platform. 

This means businesses can reach a wider target audience for a smaller price tag. 

Trend 2: Omnichannel communication

By embarking on a direct mail campaign, we are not suggesting using this as your only marketing platform; quite the contrary. There is immense value in advertising digitally as the audience it reaches is vast. However, providing your target audience with omnichannel communication is an excellent way to create brand consistency. 

By providing consumers with more than one avenue to access and experience your brand, you are generating higher levels of brand loyalty. For instance, consider the vast variety of social media marketing and trends in 2023. Not only are consumers using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, but they are also advertising on lesser-known platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. 

Advertising across multiple platforms allows marketers to reach consumers in places that are most convenient for them. When combining direct mail and digital marketing campaigns, businesses are better able to learn their consumers’ behaviors and reach them in a way that suits their buying style. 

Trend 3: Relieve digital fatigue

With the current pandemic status, we find ourselves in a whirlwind of digital platforms that are often necessary to perform our jobs and daily duties. Because of this, we can experience digital fatigue. Digital fatigue is not a new concept but has become more relevant as companies have switched to working remotely and schools are promoting digital learning. 

As digital platform use increases, so do digital marketing efforts from large and small companies alike. With the constant bombardment of digital ads and the endless hours of staring at a screen to complete your job or learning tasks, consumers are looking for an escape from their computers and phones. 

This is where direct mail shines. 

By providing a print version of your ad to consumers, businesses create that avenue consumers are looking for to get away from digital platforms and rest their eyes while shopping from home. 

Trend 4: Personalization

Think back to a time you received a personalized letter or thank you note. How did it make you feel? Did you feel special and like the sender truly cares about you? The psychological effect that personalized gifts or letters have on a person is astonishing. Not only does it boost your confidence, but it gives you purpose and meaning knowing that you matter to someone. 

Better yet, providing a handwritten note goes a lot further than a printed note. Therefore, finding the time to personalize and even handwrite notes and mailing them to your customers or target market is a sure way to grab their attention. 

It is also a good business practice to offer hand-written thank you notes for a purchase or donation to show that their contribution is greatly appreciated. These efforts create brand loyalty that is difficult to break.

Trend 5: Retargeting effectiveness

While content marketing via a digital platform has proven effective, it can only attract those consumers that wish to be reached. By incorporating a marketing strategy that includes direct mail, you are better equipped to reach those consumers that are no longer responsive to digital ads.

How do you determine what consumers are no longer responsive to? Take, for example, the digital shoppers that have an item in their cart but have not yet made a purchase. Digital marketing automation platforms can send out reminder emails to encourage consumers to finalize the purchase, but the shopper may not respond to the email or even check their email. 

This is where direct mail comes in. Send the shopper a handwritten note stating that you are aware they have not yet made their purchase and encourage them to do so. This is just one example of how direct mail can effectively retarget. 

6 Tips and Techniques to Take Your Direct Mail Marketing into the Future

Now that you know the direct mail trends for 2023, it is time to understand various tips and techniques that will help you take your direct mail marketing campaign into the future. 

Tip 1: Create a target list

Knowing what target audience you are trying to reach is a vital step in the success of your direct mail campaign. Selecting a demographic that best suits the buyers of your product or service ensures your materials aren’t going to waste. 

You may also consider targeting repeat customers to encourage engagement. 

Tip 2: Create personalized content

As previously noted, personalizing content creates a sense of importance in the consumer’s mind and makes them see value in your product or service. A direct mail campaign doesn’t have to be boring or mundane. 

Spruce it up by personalizing the content and even providing a handwritten note here and there. 

Tip 3: Promote attractive offers

It is hard to convert marketing campaigns to sales without producing eye-popping materials and including attractive offers. The direct mail format plays an integral role in capturing potential customers and converting sales. 

This also ensures your direct mail piece stands out from others and you have a successful direct mail campaign. 

Tip 4: Sample the market

Before fully committing to a specific market, comb through your mailing list and select a sample market. Send out a small batch of your mailers to members of your target audience to ensure your ad is well received. 

Knowing the receptive rates of your target audience will better prepare you for an effective marketing campaign. 

Tip 5: Track response

Tracking the response rate of consumers to your direct mail campaign is essential to determining the success of your marketing efforts. Use a promo code or other means of tracking to determine whether or not your ad was well-received by current or potential customers. 

By tracking the response rate, you can evolve your campaign to meet the needs of consumers in future mailings. 

Tip 6: Follow-Up

Consistency is vital when it comes to direct mail campaigns. Following up with your mailing list ensures your target audience doesn’t forget your company and the provided offers. 

A follow-up mailing can also remind consumers to make a purchase. 

When a direct mail marketing campaign is executed effectively, it can produce tremendous and head-turning results.

Successful Direct Mail Campaigns to Inspire You

Nothing offers more inspiration to start something new than a success story. When a direct mail marketing campaign is executed effectively, it can produce tremendous and head-turning results. One such success story is from Palm West Home Realty. 

Palm West Home Realty mailed 5,000 oversized postcards for $1,560 to households surrounding their new headquarters. These postcards provided the company with $25,000 in revenue and a 1,600% ROI.

Dr. Tanty, DDS, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, is another example of how effective direct mail can be for your business. With a rate of 4.9 new patients per month, Dr. Tanty increased that number to 22 after embarking on a direct mail campaign. That’s a 349% patient increase from mailing 6,000 postcards per month.

Another successful direct mail marketing campaign is that of photographer Scott Areman. This commercial portrait photographer landed a gig with a local credit union by mailing postcard style mailers with one side featuring a photo he took and the other a list of his style of shooting.  

Direct mail campaigns can turn your business around if you take the time to evaluate your target audience and design direct mail that catches the eye and consumers want to inspect. 

Using Integrations for Direct mail

Incorporating Handwritten integrations offers several key advantages. Firstly, the personal touch of a handwritten message adds a human element that resonates with recipients, fostering a stronger connection. Also, Handwrytten integrations boost the process by automating handwritten note generation, saving time and effort. Below, you can find our integrations that can be helpful:

• Handwritten Hubspot Integrations: Personalize notes for leads and customers in Hubspot CRM, fostering connections and driving conversions.
• Handwritten Salesforce Integrations: Easily send handwritten messages to prospects and clients in Salesforce, creating a personalized experience.
• Zapier Handwritten Notes Integration: Automate handwritten notes with Zapier, triggering personalized messages based on specific events or actions.
• Handwritten Integrately Integrations: Automate direct mail campaigns with Handwritten and Integrately, enabling smooth data transfers and personalized handwritten communications effortlessly.
• Handwritten Make Integrations: Create and deliver customized handwritten notes that make a lasting impression with Handwritten’s integration with Make.
• Handwritten SyncSpider Integrations: Combine SyncSpider’s data synchronization power with Handwritten’s personal touch to send automated handwritten notes at the perfect time, driving optimal customer engagement and retention.
• Handwritten CDK Integrations: Streamline automotive note campaigns with Handwrytten and CDK integration, effortlessly sending personalized handwritten messages to enhance the buying experience for customers.
• Handwritten Shopify Integrations: Automate handwritten note creation and delivery based on customer actions by integrating Handwritten with Shopify, ensuring a delightful and memorable shopping experience.

Request Free Writing Samples from Handwrytten

Whether you are currently using a direct mail campaign or are looking to begin a campaign, Handwrytten can help your business successfully embark on your direct mail campaign. With handwritten notes, cards, greeting cards, and everything else in between, we can help you make your customers feel wanted by your company.

Our robotic handwriting machines help produce cards for you to distribute to your target audience for that piece of personalization that converts awareness to consumer purchase. 

Want to take your direct mail campaign to the next level? Request free writing samples from Handwrytten to get started!