You CAN Get Something for Nothing! Extra Impressions for Your Next Direct Mail Campaign
Wondering how to mount a multi-channel campaign without having to become a digital marketing expert? How about using a program from the US Postal Service that's got multi-channel already built in? The Informed Delivery (ID) program from the USPS is a successful, no-charge offering that is becoming popular among marketers as the subscriber base grows. At this writing, nearly 40 million individuals have signed up for the program. Direct mail marketers can take advantage of this program to increase the impressions for their materials instantly–at no extra charge! CLICK HERE to download the US Postal Service's current ID subscriber statistics by zip code. From Direct Mail to Email-AutomaticallyEvery morning, ID subscribers receive emails containing images of the letter-size mail their mail carrier will deliver later in the day. The default images are grayscale scans of the address side of the mailing piece. By adding compelling messaging to the front side of their mail pieces, marketers can boost interest in their campaigns before the USPS even delivers the mail. Mailers need take no special actions to include their mail in the daily ID digests sent to enrolled consumers. But the real power of Informed Delivery comes from planned campaigns. With ID campaigns, mailers replace the grayscale images with a full color graphic and a color ride-along ad that includes a call to action and links to e-commerce sites or landing pages on the internet. Mailers pay the USPS nothing extra to expose their customers to these extra impressions delivered through email, the ID website, or the mobile app. Even flats, periodicals, and catalogs that aren't scanned by the USPS can be included in ID campaigns. Multi-channel doesn't get any easier than this! Effective and FlexibleInformed Delivery subscribers open their daily emails about 65% of the time-a big improvement over typical marketing email blasts. With an effective call to action, marketers should realize more engagement than they typically experience with their email campai…
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
by Target Marketing
direct mail, ID, Informed Delivery, marketing, multi-channel, US Postal Service, USPS
How to Write a Brochure
Today’s marketing plans are “web-centric.” Plans are written with a company’s website as the central media, where companies communicate benefits and information. Before the dominance of the internet, a company’s printed brochure often served as that central point of information. It conveyed brand, specifications, locations, features, benefits, and corporate stability—an 8 ½ x 11” website you can put in your pocket or pin on a corkboard. Today, printed or posted brochures can strengthen the marketing effectiveness of an organization’s website by following best practices and guidelines. Brochures are a convenient mechanism that encourages prospects to take the next step in the buying process. Value of Brochures An “overview” brochure offers the most bang for your buck with printed marketing materials. Most companies cannot put every product in a single brochure. But a convenient, tri-fold brochure can direct the prospect to a specific website where they can learn more. It’s permanent, convenient, and easy to put in someone’s hand at a trade show, cold call, or networking event. Digital marketing is easy to create. There is nothing wrong with this marketing method, but new enterprises often start with digital and stay there. Companies that use printed brochures send the message to prospects they are an established business. They demonstrate an investment in the business beyond a webpage and email. What is Included in a Brochure? Think of a printed brochure as a business card on steroids. It provides company and contact information for potential clients, but also includes photos, art, and branding. The brochure may feature a testimonial from a satisfied customer or logos of well-known brands who bought your product or service. Most importantly, brochures include feature/benefit and selling statements. The reader is asking, “what’s in it for me?” The well-tested maxim, “sell, don’t tell” abso…
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Wednesday, March 3, 2021
by Target Marketing
direct mail, marketing
Don’t Spray and Pray Your Direct Mail Campaigns
Direct mail has always been an effective strategy for marketers, even though sometimes it gets dismissed as an imprecise approach. That’s especially true when a spray and pray tactic – hitting as many recipients as possible indiscriminately and hoping for the best – generates unimpressive response rates. Today’s targeting tools and printing technologies have refined the way marketers deploy direct mail campaigns. They’re now able to hit the right prospects with relevant messages that boost engagement. This approach may reach fewer prospects, but the prospects are far more promising. It’s better to approach 500 qualified clients with an effective piece rather than blitz 5,000 random people and pray enough of them respond. You can channel the money saved from print and postage into more memorable production with eye-catching embellishments that improve your chances of producing your desired results. Direct mail driven by targeting, technology, and content takes more planning and time investment, but the end results are worth it. Start with Better Targeting Precise targeting results from effective list segmentation, based on clean data. The more information you have about your clients and your prospects, the easier it will be to create pieces that attract their attention. When you’re segmenting, keep your direct mail objectives in mind. Common goals include brand awareness, more repeat business, new business, new product introduction, higher traffic, or driving clients to a landing page in a cross-media campaign. Think about who will be most open to your offer or message and determine which data points are key to identifying your targets. Include multiple parameters beyond basic age and income in your data selection. You might examine customer shopping history, for example. If you’re in a B2B segment, think about prospect job titles and pain points. When buying a list, go beyond identifying prospects by only their zip codes and ask for other relevant data…
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Thursday, January 28, 2021
by Target Marketing
direct mail, marketing, USPS
