In today’s multi-channel marketing world, it’s no longer enough to rely solely on one medium to reach your audience effectively. Direct mail, long considered a cornerstone of traditional marketing, is still highly effective when done right. You can improve its impact and response rates by pairing it with email marketing. When you integrate email with direct mail, you can increase engagement, drive more conversions, and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of your overall campaign. Let’s look at how you can use email strategically to boost direct mail response rates.
Build Anticipation with a Pre-Mail Email
One of the best ways to increase direct mail response rates is to let your audience know it’s coming. A pre-mail email helps create anticipation and prepares recipients for the direct mail piece. This simple action can increase the likelihood that your direct mail piece won’t end up in the trash or ignore pile.
How to Do It:
- Send a teaser email a few days before the mail is scheduled to arrive in-home. Use intriguing language like “Something exciting is coming to your mailbox!” or “Keep an eye out for a special offer arriving soon.”
- Highlight the key benefit they can expect from your direct mail. This could be a limited time offer, an exclusive promotion, or valuable information.
- Include a preview of the direct mail piece, showing the recipient what it looks like and giving them a reason to open it when it arrives.
This combination of email and direct mail creates a cohesive experience and sets the stage for higher engagement.
Follow Up with an Email Reminder
One of the incredible benefits of direct mail is its long shelf-life. Direct mail tends to linger in people’s cars, on their desks, or in their homes. Once your direct mail piece has arrived, it’s crucial to follow up with an email reminder. Emails can be timed to arrive exactly when you want them to, so send a gentle nudge, encouraging your recipient to take action if they haven’t already.
How to Do It:
- Send the reminder email 3-5 days after the direct mail piece has arrived. Your subject line could be something like, “Did you see our offer in your mailbox?” or “In case you missed it: Check your mail for a great deal!”
- Reinforce the message from the direct mail piece by reiterating the key offer or incentive.
- Provide a digital option to respond, such as a link to a landing page, a digital coupon, or an RSVP button. This way, even if they misplaced the physical mail, they can still act on your offer
A well-timed reminder can significantly increase response rates by keeping your offer top of mind.
Use Email as a Direct Mail Companion
Email can also work in tandem with your direct mail piece. Consider using email to deliver supplementary information, downloadable content, or an extra layer of personalization that complements your physical piece.
How to Do It:
- Link to additional content in your email that’s related to your direct mail piece. For instance, if your direct mail piece promotes a new product, your email can link to a demo video or a customer testimonial.
- Use personalization in emails to support direct mail. Include personalized recommendations or product suggestions based on the recipient’s past purchases or behavior.
- Offer exclusive digital-only incentives that tie into your direct mail offer. For example, you might say, “Bring the direct mail coupon to the store for 10% off OR use this email code to shop online for 15% off.”
This multi-channel approach gives your audience several ways to engage, increasing the likelihood of response.
Retarget Non-Responders with an Email Offer
Not every recipient will respond to direct mail right away. For those who didn’t engage with the physical advertisement, an email retargeting campaign can be a powerful way to give them one more opportunity to act and keep the campaign momentum alive.
How to Do It:
- Suppress responders from your email list.
- Send a targeted email that re-emphasizes the original offer or sweetens the deal with an additional incentive. For example, “We noticed you haven’t taken advantage of our offer – here’s an extra 5% off just for you!”
- Create urgency in your email by including a limited time offer or countdown, encouraging quick action.
Retargeting non-responders with email provides another touchpoint, improving the overall reach and effectiveness of your direct mail efforts.
Next Steps
When used together, email and direct mail can create a strong one-two punch that boosts engagement and response rates. Email enhances the effectiveness of direct mail by building anticipation, providing reminders, delivering supplementary content, and retargeting non-responders.
By following these strategies, you can not only improve the performance of your direct mail campaigns but also create a unified, multi-channel experience that resonates with your audience. Combining the best of both worlds – digital and physical – leads to a marketing strategy that drives real results.
If you want to learn more about optimizing your direct marketing strategies, let’s connect.