6 Common Direct Mail Blunders You Must Avoid

In today’s world of tech-savvy consumers, it is surprising how successful a direct mail marketing campaign can be.

In fact, studies have shown that 73% of consumers prefer to receive marketing material in this way. However, the success of your direct mail campaigns may be affected if you fall victim to one of the common mistakes that many companies make. In this blog, we will explore common mistakes many businesses make, and how to ensure you avoid them.

Mistake 1: Mass mailing without A/B testing

It’s simple – something that is successful in one campaign may not be successful in another. Likewise, if something has been successful in the past, it does not automatically mean it will remain it. The consumer, like everything else, changes over time.

To find out what works and what doesn’t, you should test a small portion of your mailing list first. Start by mailing two versions of your campaign to two randomly selected groups from your mailing list. If you find one version is more successful than the other, send this version out to the remainder of the list. This ensures the vast majority sees the most popular campaign and optimises your chance of success.

Mistake 2: Targeting the wrong audience

If you want your direct mail to be successful, you need to send it to the right people. You cannot possibly target everyone. You are bound to find that some people are just not interested in your product, no matter how great your sales pitch.

Know your audience so you can make the most of your campaign by sending it to the people that will respond favourably to your mail.

Mistake 3: Saving the best for last

Sometimes it is worth saving the best until last, but direct mail is not one of those times. Your audience will start by glancing at mail and make a decision whether to read the whole thing in a matter of seconds. You can get around this by telling consumers about the strongest selling point first. You need to grab their attention quickly and entice them to carry on reading.

Mistake 4: Failing to include discounts and offers

Everybody loves a bargain! Include free gifts and discounts on your products in your direct mail campaign and your campaign will be more successful. For extra oomph, make sure your offer is eye-catching too, so potential customers want to read more.

Mistake 5: Failing To include a call to action

Using direct mail to give potential customers information about your company can be ineffectual if you don’t also add the next step. Make sure you include a clear message about what you want your customers to do on receiving the mail. This is called a call to action (or CTA). Give contact details if you want them to call or email, or give website details if you want them to check out your products.

Mistake 6: Putting customers second

Direct mail should give the customer information about your products or services, but not be solely focused on how wonderful your company is. Describe your products in a way that outlines the benefit for the customer. Consumers will always want to know what’s in it for them.

Can we help?

If your business needs a reliable source of new contacts, we can help at Selectabase. For more information, contact us on 01304 383838 today!