Make Sure Your Direct Mail Gives You ROI

Effective direct marketing is a mixture of experienced technique, considering market trends, and visually enticing design and content. Getting to quality direct marketing can be anything but direct, and while your shop may experience a misstep here and there, here are 6 direct marketing mistakes you don’t have to make.

Bad Data

If you have a bad list, you may as well not even send your direct mail. As the saying goes, you really are “only as good as your list”. In fact, bad data can cost US businesses around 3 trillion dollars each year. Most data needs some cleaning up when acquired, and basic data maintenance is important. But…don’t use a ton of resources to salvage a bad list. You should only need to clean up your data…not overhaul it. If you have a data vendor, make sure you trust them and that they’re doing the cleanup and maintenance, letting you focus on your shop – not your list.

Failure to Change

Change is a good thing and direct marketing—particularly direct mail marketing—has seen a lot of change over the years. Make sure you or your marketing resource stays on top of these changes. If they’re with the times, they’ll be using PURLs (personalized URLs), adding in QR codes, using dashboards for tracking and attribution, and ultimately, creating “new-age direct mail”. Remember, new technology means increased efficiency and using it will put you above the outreach and tracking of other shops.

“Technology helps us work faster and smarter and provides us with more accurate data about our potential clients. And obviously, this leads to better conversion rates and happier customers. Technology has sharpened the direct mail marketing process to provide great results.”

They’ll also be aware of new mediums, and adapting and changing as new techniques arise. To put it simply, they’ll know how to get effective results by using an array of tactics.

No Call to Action

When it comes to marketing, especially direct mail, a clearly defined call to action can’t be ignored. It’s how you “tell” your customers and potential customers what you’d like them to do – and it shouldn’t be hard to figure out. A good CTA catches the eye, provokes an immediate response, is clear and to the point, and ultimately, creates conversions for your shop. Here are a few good examples:

  • Get 20% off on your first order with this coupon!
  • Sign up for our rewards program at the link below for $10.00 off your next order.
  • Visit the link below to view our menu.

All of these CTAs include a what, how, and where, clearly defining a path and the benefits of following that path. Plus, they’re all trackable for your shop – whether they bring in a coupon or visit a link, you’ll know if the CTA worked.

Bad Design Elements

The design of your direct marketing can make or break its effectiveness. Make sure your design is both visually interesting and easy to read. Don’t overcrowd it and confuse the customer with extra flair and noise. Consider the size, colors, fonts and imagery. Does it match the look, feel, and overall brand of your shop? When all else fails, use a simple grid layout.

Image from DesignerCrowd.com

Forgetting to Personalize

Investing in just the slightest amount to personalization will go a long way for your shop. 82% of marketers have reported an increase in open rates through email personalization, so, even just including a name can boost value. In the digital and direct mail world, personalization means using data to provide prospective customers with a truly individualized experience. Simply put, making them feel special and seen. Read more on personalization best practices at our “Personalization Pizza” blog.

Saving the “Best for Last”

If you’re marketing to potential customers via direct mail, it may be tempting to save the best special or deal for last. Leave them with a tempting offer on the back, right? Wrong. Your best copy and deals should always be up front to capitalize on the limited window in which your audience decides whether or not your outreach is worth their time. Remember, most people don’t like to think too hard and have short attention spans and busy schedules – so make it easy for them to find what you want them to.

Want to do more marketing for your shop but don’t know where to start? Avoid these mistakes with the help of ZaHub. We’re here to help! Contact us.