With the current focus on Internet marketing, it can be easy to overlook the power of a traditional direct mail campaign. However, neither online marketing nor direct mail can stand alone as the sole source of advertising for a business. A good integrated marketing strategy leverages the possibilities of all channels to draw customers, increase conversions, and improve sales.
Direct Mail For Advertising
Companies have used direct mail for decades to advertise products, offer services, and promote special discounts. A direct mail marketing campaign may include a weekly flyer, sales announcements, coupons, or a product catalog. Each type of mailing serves a different purpose and can be used to good effect in a well-designed, integrated marketing strategy.
Integrated marketing uses multiple channels to target a wide range of customers. Brand image, tone, and customer experience are kept consistent across each, from traditional methods to modern online avenues. The goal is to combine all aspects of customer relations into one seamless marketing campaign.
Benefits Of Direct Mail
Direct mail offers many benefits over other types of advertising. No matter what proponents of online marketing may say, the method of reaching customers through their mailboxes is far from outdated. Direct mailings should be eye-catching and highly visible while delivering product and service information directly to customers and quickly drawing attention to new or popular products. Additionally, direct mail services alert traditional mail customers to a business’s online presence.
Direct mailings such as catalogs have also been shown to increase visits to and time spent on business websites, resulting in more sales than Internet marketing alone. Flyers and catalogs make it easy to view a variety of products, allowing customers to choose what they want before going online to make a purchase.
The Advantage Of Niches
Niche marketing is an important part of any marketing campaign. Targeting specific groups allows a business to promote products and services to different segments of its customer base. Through direct mail, companies can send out promotions or sales announcements to people who have previously purchased similar products. Sending this information directly to customers with particular purchasing histories increases the likelihood that these same people will become repeat customers. Monitoring other channels within an integrated marketing campaign gives businesses a clearer picture of the overall habits of their customers, making it easier to target these groups with direct mail.
Integrating Direct Mail With Online Marketing
Creating and implementing an integrated marketing strategy takes time and effort. However, as a business works toward combining the various aspects of advertising, it’s possible to track the efficacy of strategy in turning curious customers into paying customers.
The best way to do this is to keep a comprehensive database of consumer information, including physical addresses, e-mail addresses, and purchasing habits. Knowing what customers regularly buy and their preferred methods of ordering helps businesses streamline mailing campaigns and properly direct traffic from one channel to another.
Direct mail can be used to drive traffic to other channels such as websites and social media. Sending out a mailing with an online coupon code, for example, encourages customers to shop via the website. Running a contest with both physical and online entry opportunities engages customers across multiple platforms and helps streamline brand experience across all advertising channels.
Without direct mail, an integrated marketing strategy winds up unbalanced and less effective than it could be. Direct mail ensures brand visibility and allows businesses to target specific subsets of their customer bases. By combining traditional advertising methods with modern online marketing efforts, any business can improve its brand image and increase ROI over time.
