Marketing solutions have changed immensely throughout the past couple of years. There are constantly new trends within the advertising space, so it’s important to update your marketing plan.
Some may think that direct mail is a thing of the past, but integrating digital and direct mail advertising can help your business thrive.
Before I jump into things, it’s important to think about who your target audience is. Every business has different goals and people they are trying to reach.
Every consumer responds differently to marketing techniques, so integrating the two worlds is important. Doing so can increase ROI and brand exposure!
Trust and credibility are essential to gaining and sustaining customer relationships. Utilizing both techniques can only increase credibility and build more relationships.
Keep reading to find out why your business needs a multi channel approach:
Why You Should Use Direct Mail Advertising
It’s important for your business to utilize direct mail advertising to reach potential customers. There are various direct mail solutions to choose from, so think about the people you are trying to reach.
Learn more about Welcomemat’s targeted direct mail options here.
Many think that direct mail is old school but with the digital overload in today’s world, direct mail can be a refreshing tactic for your intended audience.
Using targeted direct mail is trackable and segmented. Your business can target specific demographics that would be most likely use your products and services.
Your business will be able to see who redeemed your promotion which will help you gain better insight on your customer demographics.
Depending on the type of direct mail you choose, you want it to be personalized and eye-catching. The pieces should be colorful, attention-grabbing and on-brand.
Here are some statistics on why you should implement direct mail advertising into your marketing plan:
- 41% of Americans of all ages look forward to checking their mail each day. (Gallup)
- 59% of US respondents say they enjoy getting mail from brands about new products. (Epsilon)
These percentages may not be as high as it use to be, however, it’s still a high chance of reaching your customers. It’s important to reach those who still look forward to print promotions. If you are only using digital marketing, your business is missing out on a major group of consumers. With the digital landscape continually growing, it’s essential to advertise to those who still enjoy receiving paper copies of promotional items.
If you send the right messaging and the recipient is interested, it won’t matter if they prefer digital. Sending information to the right people will increase redemption rates and ROI. Sending direct mail to those who still enjoy getting mail from brands and new products will increase customer loyalty and help build those long-lasting relationships within the community.
- Advertising mail is kept in a household for 17 days on average. (Mailmen)
This is a major benefit of direct mail! If a potential customer is interested in your business, they will continue to be reminded about it. Whether they keep your direct mail piece sitting on the counter, on the fridge, or in their purse, they will eventually look at it again. This is in comparison to social media ads and email. A user may only see the ad or email once and continue scrolling.
- 73% of American consumers say they prefer being contacted by brands via direct mail because they can read it whenever they want. (Epsilon)
Direct mail allows for the consumer to look at your advertisement during their own time. If you send a promotion via email, it may get lost in someone’s inbox, as apposed to a physical copy. Direct mail allows for the recipient to view the messaging whenever they please. If the consumer is interested, your direct mail piece may be seen again.
Direct mail offers a 29% return on investment. (Marketing Charts)
This is a great return on investment for your company!
Why You Should Use Digital Marketing
As the digital landscape grows so does advertising in this space. Marketers and businesses have this idea that this is the only way to go with marketing. It’s extremely important, but you must be sure to include this in your marketing plan along with direct mail. Focusing on your business’ SEO, email marketing, social media, ads and more will help your business thrive!
Digital marketing can allow you to reach people where direct mail might not. Here are some statistics:
- More than 46% of Americans will check their smartphones before getting out of bed. (Tech Times, 2017)
Making sure you can reach people via mobile devices is essential! More than ever, consumers are using their phones daily. This may be to look up your business, go on social media, check their emails, and more. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly- online users might get frustrated if your website isn’t visually friendly or if it’s hard to navigate. This goes for email marketing as well. If you are sending monthly or weekly emails to your subscribed customers, ensure the emails are mobile-friendly!
- Globally, there are over 2.38 billion monthly active users on Facebook. (Facebook, 2019)
- Facebook users are accessing the site or app eight times per day on average.
- Facebook is the #1 social channel used by marketers, with the highest return on investment. (HubSpot, 2020)
Reaching consumers via social media can be extremely beneficial for your business. The amount of Facebook users will only continue to grow, so make sure you utilize Facebook Ads to get your message out there. Paying for Ads on Facebook allows you to choose specially who will see your message. For example, you can select the location, age range, gender, interests, etc. Just as you would target specific people with direct mail, you should do the same with Facebook. This increases your brand’s exposure.
- Emails with personalized subject lines generate 50% higher open rates (Yes Lifecycle Marketing, 2017).
- For every $1 you spend on emails marketing, you can expect an average return of $42 (DMA, 2019).
Email marketing can be a cost effective way to get your message across. The ROI is one of the many benefits of implementing this strategy. Most people with emails check them daily, so you have a high chance of your email being opened. You must ensure that your messaging is attention grabbing and personalized to the sender. This will increase open rates, thus increasing ROI if the customer takes action.
- 57% of consumers say that social media influences their shopping.
- “Near me” searches have increased more than 500% in the past few years
- On the first page alone, the first five organic results account for 67.60% of all the clicks. (Zero Limit Web)
- The conversion rate for SEO is 14.6%, firmly beating the 1.7% conversion rate for traditional outbound methods.
Focusing on your Search Engine Optimization strategy is extremely important, especially on a local level. SEO allows for your business to be found organically (unpaid). With “near me” searches sky rocketing, it’s important to implement a strategy so your business comes up. Most people only click on the first page of search results, so if you want more web traffic and clicks, focus on SEO.
Why Both Strategies Are Successful Together
Increased Exposure
Using both forms of marketing allows for potential customers to see your advertising more than once. If you narrow down your target audience, your advertising will be more successful.
Once you figure that out, you can send your information to the consumer’s inbox and mailbox. This is double exposure, which increases the chances of a response from the recipient. Direct mail can enhance your digital marketing campaigns.
Welcomemat can add a link to print mail that leads customers to a landing page for tracking. This way, you can tie your campaigns together.
Consistent Brand
Using both forms of marketing will ensure your brand message is consistent and seen across multiple channels. Being able to have a brand that customers connect with and recognize is the goal.
If a consumer is scrolling through Facebook or looking through the mail they received, you want for them to notice it and be able to acknowledge that it’s your business. Matching the content, tone and colors on both strategies enforces brand recognition. You want consumers to know what your business stands for!
Informed Delivery
Informed Delivery bridges the gap between the print and digital world. It’s important for your business to utilize this to gain advantage over your competitors.
Informed Delivery allows for users to digitally preview their mail before it arrives. This is great for the direct mail you send out. Informed Delivery allows for the recipient to view your direct mail before they physically receive it. This can build up anticipation! You can also add links to your website, social media pages, etc. This is a great way to please the consumers who prefer one medium over another.
In conclusion, digital and direct mail advertising pair greatly together. It’s not surprising that every consumer reacts differently to marketing. If your business is not implementing a multi-channel approach, you are missing out on a sector of people.
For help with digital and direct mail marketing services, contact Welcomemat Services today!
