While traditional and digital media channels have been pitted against each other to see which is the most effective, they actually perform better as allies. Many marketers claimed direct mail was dead, ineffective, and antiquated, yet it continues to be one of the highest performing marketing channels out there. Direct mail’s already high response and ROI rates increase even more when pairing it with email and other digital channels.
Over time, we’ve learned that omni-channel marketing (using multiple channels to promote the same message) outperforms siloed marketing channels (each channel working independently). When you put the same message across several marketing channels, you surround your audience with your offer, creating recognition, building trust, and increasing opportunities to say yes.
Email can extend the life of your direct mail piece and offers many benefits to boost your campaign results.
Targeting Individuals
One of the biggest benefits of using direct mail is the ability to target specific households. You can choose who receives your offer, allowing you to maximize your marketing budget. Email works the same way. Instead of advertising to an unknown audience, you can deliver your message to the same individuals on your direct mail list.
Personalization
If you want to catch the eye of your marketing list, personalize your ads. Adding a consumer’s name to a mail piece or an email goes a long way in getting their attention. It shows that you intentionally chose them and wanted to make this offer not to a “current resident” but to them specifically. People respond more to customized offers. As a bonus, personalizing offers makes it easier to identify who responded after the campaign has ended.
Same Message, Fresh New Look
While an email can have all the same content as a direct mail piece, it will look completely different due to the nature of emails. The fresh new look will catch your audience’s eye and draw their attention to different elements. Because the message is the same, your audience will recognize the offer and realize it’s from a different source. Multiple sources sending the same message creates trust and credibility.
Actionable
Emails create opportunities for recipients to respond immediately. Whether you ask them to sign up for a demo, request more information, or even buy the product, you are inviting them to act within the email. By giving them clear and easy next steps to follow, you remove obstacles that prevent them from completing a transaction and increase response rates.
More Touches
It takes multiple marketing touches before someone is willing to complete a transaction. Your prospects have to be exposed to your brand and offerings. Then, they need to connect your offer with their need or want, evaluate your proposition, and finally have the means to buy from you. Making a purchase is a process, and many companies are competing for that purchase. To remain in the game, you need to stay in front of your audience.
Direct mail creates a great introduction and offers a tangible touchpoint, but you need to keep reminding your audience that you are there. By pairing it with email, you can stay in front of your prospects with additional touch points and reinforce the direct mail piece.
Timely Reminders
Many times, people are interested in an offer, and they forget to respond. They might be really busy or interrupted, so it’s always a good idea to remind them an offer is expiring. The best tool to send reminders is email. You can schedule emails to arrive on a specific date and at a specific time, so you can let your audience know a deal is expiring or you are almost out of stock. These little nudges can encourage your prospects to complete their transaction.
Wrap Up
Your direct mail doesn’t have to compete with email. Enhance its performance by using the two media channels together. As they work in unison, you can build campaign momentum and move your prospects further down the sales funnel.
Ready to see the power of pairing email with direct mail? Give us a call.