How does direct mail marketing work?

Before starting any marketing marketing campaign is important to have some information ready to start the launching process. Direct mail marketing works almost the same way as digital marketing, with the difference that is physical and mailed. The process of sending direct mail starts with: 

1. Goals definition 

This is related to the purpose of your marketing campaign. What do you want to achieve through direct mail? Gain customers? Brand recognition? It is important to have those goals defined. This way all the content and decisions about the campaign will point to reaching them. 

2. Have a clear audience 

Once you have goals clearly defined, it is crucial to know the targeted audience. Are you B2B or B2C? What type of people do you want to reach? What are their characteristics? What are their needs? What are their ages? What is their behavior? Answer all these questions and then you will have an audience ready to mail content. Make sure to base your information on actual data, this way it will be accurate. 

3. Pick a format

It is important to define the format you are going to use to put your content. You can use the following options: 

• Regular postcards (4 x 6 inches)
• Oversized postcards (6 x 9 or 6 x 11 inches)
• Letters
• Brochures
• Booklets
• Flyers

Mailfold is a great direct mail marketing platform that allows its users to send regular postcards, oversized postcards, and letters. 

4. Create content

Now with goals and audience ready, it is time to create the content that you are gonna share. That content has to meet the goals you defined previously, and have your brand information and graphic line. This step requires a lot of creativity to send your message and engage the receivers. Also, it is important to create appropriate content for your audience. To do so, consider all their specific needs, characteristics, and behavior. Everything to guarantee they will be interested in your content. 

5. Create design

The designing step is crucial because it will mark the receivers’ behavior. Make sure to create colorful, communicative, and graphically correct designs. Including the branding and colors of your company in the content, you create will increase brand awareness and recognition. Try to not saturate your postcard with a lot of information if it is not necessary. Sometimes less is more when you are trying to communicate. 

6. Add a CTA

A Call to Action, well known as CTA, is very important when developing a direct mail campaign. This is the action you want your receivers to take after getting your message. Your content has to be such as good that they will want to do something right away. The CTA can be an action that goes along with the main goal of your campaign. Invite them to visit your website, use a promo code, submit a review, visit your store, download an ebook, or anything that helps you reach the goal. 

7. Create lists 

Now with the target audience defined, you can create a list with all the ones that meet the characteristics. You can use information previously collected from customers and shoppers, or use a database to purchase a mailing list. Depending on the goal of your campaign, select the option that works best. 

8. Mailing time!

This is the best part of the process. When you finally can send the content to the target audience. Here is the moment to print, postage, and mail the direct mail campaign. This can be hard if you are trying to do it by yourself. That is why a direct mail marketing agency is perfect to do the job. 

Mailfold is a great tool that allows you to pick a format, create a design, create prospecting lists, import databases, and mail postcards anywhere in the United States. Test your first campaign here.