Whether you’re trying to convert leads into sales, get the word out about your business, or entice your customers to redeem an offer, a successful direct mail campaign can make a huge difference for your business. Knowing the key elements for direct mail success can help you improve your campaigns from the get-go.
Epsilon Individual Automotive understands the essential elements of good direct mail marketing. For three decades, we’ve helped over 10,000 individual dealers find new ground in strategizing campaigns that create sustained success. Let us lend a helping hand in better reach your audience.
Planning
The first part of any good campaign should be mapping it out. You could have the best offer on the market, the most engaging copy, and the most eye-catching graphics—but it can all fall flat if you don’t gameplan ahead of time. A good thing to think about when you’re planning your campaign is the 40/40/20 rule.
This philosophy has been around since the 1960s, when marketing legend Ed Mayer developed a strategy for what campaigns should focus on. He separates elements into three sections and says that a campaign’s success depends on:
- 40% – your mailing list
- 40% – what you’re offering
- 20% – everything else (copy, design, etc.)
Not only is it a simple and smart way to think of building a campaign, but it also gives you a clear path toward creating something that will boost your business. As you prep for your next campaign, our team works with you to bring your plans to fruition by appropriately designating your 40/40/20 rule. Doing so sets the stage for success as the direct mail campaign finds its footing.
Develop Your Mailing List
Your most important step in developing an effective direct mail marketing campaign is figuring out who to send that mail to. You could send it to every household in a particular area, but that’s not exactly cost-effective. Spamming a whole city or neighborhood with postcards doesn’t exactly yield the best return on investment (ROI).
Instead, you’ll want to create a well-researched mailing list. You could opt to buy or rent a list from a list provider. However, this isn’t recommended, as those lists are often filled with outdated information and addresses. Plus, they frequently contain contact information for people who have no interest in your business.
The best way to build your mailing list is to create a targeted list of existing customers and possible leads. Epsilon Individual Automotive is well-versed in developing mailing lists that’ll get your marketing materials in the right mailboxes. We know what a customer may be looking for, and our direct mail services can help your dealership find the right audience without any second guessing.
Make Your Audience an Offer They Can’t Refuse
A solid offer is key to putting out a successful direct mail campaign. Your mailing list is what gets your marketing materials in their hands, but your offer is what makes them want to take action.
A good offer shouldn’t just be selling something—it should connect with the reader. Think about their pain points, what they need, and what they’re looking for. Some questions to ask yourself when considering what you can offer include:
- What sorts of things is your audience searching for?
- What’s in it for them?
- Why should they choose your offer over a competitor’s?
Knowing the right questions to ask yourself not only puts you in your audience’s shoes—it brings greater understanding for future campaigns. Direct mail marketing is all about research, which begins when you meticulously plan a can’t-miss campaign that appeals to the reader’s pain points and interests. Once they’re hooked, you can reel them in.
Get Creative
The mailing list and your offer(s) are the foundation for a good direct mail marketing campaign, but the content you’re sending out is just as important. With market and industry trends rapidly evolving, you can reach greater audiences through creative problem-solving. Not only does this allow you to go against the grain, it lets you create a distinctive message your audience will associate with your dealership.
Whether crafting a postcard, newsletter, or a dimensional mailer, you should focus on these key aspects for your next direct mail campaign.
Quality Content
No matter what kind of mailer you’re sending or what kind of offer you’re making, you need to make sure the copy is good, too. It should match the tone of your offer, but also be engaging. Think about readability, too. It’s best to keep things short and to the point, so it can be as understandable as possible.
Take a moment to reflect on direct mailers that have piqued your interest in the past. What about them stood out to you? Was it the flashy imagery—or was it the personable, lively messaging? Impactful direct mail campaigns know exactly what to say, when to say it, and who to say it to.
Call to Action
The whole point of your mailer is to get the audience to do what you want. So, whatever you’re sending them must have a strong call to action (CTA). This is where you’ll really need to make it clear what’s in it for them. Some ways you can wrap things up with a solid CTA include:
- Clearly stating what you want them to do
- Using action verbs
- Creating a sense of urgency
Urgency is the name of the game in direct mail marketing. There are many ways to accomplish this with your readers—including punctuation. Did you know an exclamation mark adds enthusiasm and urgency? They add enthusiasm and urgency to your CTA—even if the reader only subconsciously notices this!
Epsilon Individual Automotive helps you craft a strong CTA for your direct mail marketing. We use our expertise to give your readers incentive to reach out to your dealership.
Draw Their Eye to Your Offer
Great copy is key, a strong CTA is essential, and a solid offer is a necessity, but none of that will matter if you can’t draw the reader’s eye to your offer. When it comes to what you’re offering them, make it stand out. One of the easiest ways to do that is with contrasting colors. The font you choose can also make a big difference.
One of the biggest design choices you’ll have to make is where to put your CTA. The placement can be the difference between someone redeeming your offer and missing it completely. Try to place your CTA above the fold. Putting it there usually gives you a higher response rate than positioning it below the fold or somewhere in the sidebar.1
Epsilon Individual Automotive will be with you every step of the way as you design your next direct mail piece. Plus, our in-house production facility means that we can get your product out the door and into mailboxes even more efficiently.
Make it User-Friendly
You want to make both sides of your offer as user-friendly as possible. First, make sure that the mailer makes it crystal clear what you’re offering, why someone needs it, and how to sign up or redeem it. This is essential in grabbing the interest of readers, as it not only keeps information concise—but it also emphasizes the importance you place on transparency.
Also, any QR codes or URLs you list on the mailer must work properly and direct people to user-friendly pages. Known as Personalized URLs (PURLs), these unique web addresses are created for your specific audiences in your campaign. Just as an easy-to-read direct mailer pulls in readers, a clean, easy-to-use web page sustains their interest.
Having them scan a QR code is just one step in redeeming your offer. You need to be positive that the technical side is up to date and ready to go, too. This further ensures they go through with contacting or visiting your dealer.
Track Your Response Rate
One of the keys to a successful direct mail campaign is tracking your response rate. Otherwise, how will you even know if the campaign is a success or not? One way we do this is through our data-driven approach. We not only dig deep into your audience’s demographics and driving preferences—we see who’s reading and reacting to your direct mail campaign.
Keeping track of a campaign’s success is the best way to learn what works and what doesn’t. Not only will it help you develop future campaigns, but it can improve your mailing lists going forward, too. The more you learn, the more confident your dealership will be.
Ask Epsilon Individual Automotive
From building your mailing list to tracking your response, Epsilon Individual Automotive is here to assist in all your direct mail marketing needs. We understand the ins and outs of marketing agendas and we work to bring your dealer to new heights with successful direct mail campaigns and strategies.
We offer comprehensive services, like an in-house production team, loyalty promotions, data solutions, and much more, to better everyday business. Contact us to learn more about the key elements for direct mail success and see how we can help you get started.
1 https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/4794/7-tips-for-effective-calls-to-action.aspx
