Direct marketing is no longer only about direct response. Consumers don’t need to order over the phone, or by mailing in a check to purchase products or services anymore. As more consumers got on the internet, many companies spent more marketing dollars online, and less on direct mail. Others were too afraid to change their marketing ways, and continued running their direct mail marketing campaigns in the same fashion they always did. Neither approach worked well, and here’s why.
Companies that abandoned direct marketing in exchange for a purely digital approach were likely to lose touch with many of their most loyal customers. While direct click to conversion metrics and better ROI tracking with Analytics online helped to justify digital marketing budgets, the costs being spent on acquiring new customers rather than nurturing existing ones hurt overall sales.
Most “Old School” marketers that decided to stick with their tried-and-true direct marketing campaigns rather than moving some of their budget to digital also eventually saw losses. While doing a great job at nurturing existing customers, people eventually realized they could purchase the same products online with less hassle.
The companies who survived and thrived the through the transition from analog to digital marketing learned not only to combine direct mail and marketing efforts, but to shift the focus of their mailed campaigns from response to brand awareness.
Sales Copy vs. Bullet Points
Marketers used to have to tell their whole story in a single mailing piece, but when coupled with a strong web presence, direct mail now can focus on brand awareness over direct response as it once did. This shift in
approach requires a change in direct mail format as well. From small font sales copy to increase word count, companies can now stick to consistent branding with larger brand images, and big font bullet points of top benefits. Many brands aren’t even waiting for customers to open the mail before trying to get their point across.
Printing envelopes with company logo in full color reminds customers who you are, and what you do without them even having to open the letter. In the age of multi-touch marketing, your logo on an envelope might be all that is needed to get your customer to go online and purchase a product or schedule an appointment.
Bypassing the Envelope All Together?
The shift of direct marketing focus to branding has also increased the effectiveness of custom printed EDDM postcards. Include your company logo, image, address (physical or digital) and bullet point top benefits that convert into customers in the largest font you can squeeze into the design. Need help with your marketing creation? Contact our team of designers today to get started!