Marketing experts used to predict the demise of hardcopy direct mail, however at Soar Print we know that it’s evolving rather than fading. In fact, it’s enjoying a renaissance, because email has become a less-trusted channel and social media messaging is so easily ignored.
How many spams and unsolicited emails did you delete today? And how effective were all those Instagram and Facebook ads you flipped past? Now think about walking to your letterbox to discover personal mail in a classy envelope with a handwritten address. Slicing it open to see what’s inside is like opening a gift.
According to the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), up to 90% of direct mail gets opened, compared to only 20% to 30% of email. Data from Canada Post suggests that direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than email. Also, based on direct mail statistics from Marketing Profs, 75% of consumers can recall a brand after looking at a piece of direct mail, but only 44% can recall a brand after seeing a digital ad.
So we’re suggesting it’s time to take your database on a journey back in time, because hardcopy direct mail is a marketing tool that’s making a big comeback. And now it’s better than ever, because there are so many more print effects, personalisation techniques and paper stocks to make your DM piece irresistible.
Here are four ways to magnify the affect of addressed mail:
1. Make your print DM a symphony for the senses
Tactile communications appeal to multiple senses. Touch, sight, smell and even your auditory senses (the sound of crisp, upmarket paper unfolding…) can be stimulated with carefully-designed print material. With help from Soar, your printed communications can make a big first impression.
It begins with a great stock; something that feels good to touch. It continues with effects like embossing and debossing, spot UV and holographic foiling. And it can even say something about your values, by showing a logo that proves it was produced to be carbon zero. Or for a new level of engagement, your DM piece can involve paper engineering that produces amazing pop-ups, reveals and other surprises.
2. Give customers a reason to keep your DM piece
Keypoint Intelligence’s marketing communications research says that 20% of respondents stated that they were more likely to see and save printed promotions. What’s more, 15% believed that businesses who sent printed communications were more serious about winning and keeping their business. Interestingly, respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 – i.e. digital natives - were especially likely to feel this way (31%).
While email inboxes are a source of risk, as well as a source of annoyance, printed direct mail is seen as a more trustworthy marketing channel. You can capitalise on this by sending your customers something useful that’s worth keeping. From calendars and notebooks to coffee mugs and desk pads, printed promotional giveaways have power. Blank journals with arty covers are a trend that Soar Print can help you to embrace. On the inside cover, there’s plenty of space for sales messaging.
3. Remind customers of all your capabilities
If you run a services company, your customer base needs periodic reminders of all the things you can do for them. If you don’t keep in touch to reinforce your scope of work, they might start using one of your competitors simply because they can’t remember all the things you can do. You might think they have a handle on your services and capabilities, but it never hurts to underline your specialities from time to time.
A natty direct mail piece can showcase each of your skills or services, and customer case studies can provide proof that you deliver results.
4. Use your database to power personalisation
The digitisation of orders and customer relationships has made it easier to collect customer data. And data is power. It allows you to personalise customer experiences, both digital and print. At Soar, all our HP digital presses have the ability to customise outputs using variable data. In addition to personalised outputs that speak directly to each customer, you can also create virtually unlimited design variations. For direct mail and brochures, variable data increases engagement and reinforces your connection with customers. Sit down with us and we’ll talk you through the possibilities of data-powered print runs, where every output is a one-off for one customer.
References
Keypoint Intelligence. (2021, July 6). Intelligent Print Marketing in The Digital Era. Retrieved from Ricoh Business Booster
Want to put direct mail to the test?
Bring your creative team to Soar and let’s talk about how hardcopy direct mail can help you to tick off some of your marketing goals. For a meeting, contact Claudia Fraser 09 302 9100 or email claudia.fraser@soarprint.co.nz
