Technology is a huge asset. It’s a way for friends and family to stay connected to one another and for businesses to keep consumers informed. With more than 3.9 billion email users, there’s a lot for consumers to filter through to find the information they’re looking for.1
On average, individuals receive an estimated 126 emails per day.1 With so much content to filter through, it’s easy for something—like a limited-time sale—to go unnoticed until it’s too late.
Make sure your information is never missed by skipping the digital marketing and going the direct mail route. At Aspen Automotive, we are direct mail marketing experts and are here to help you learn more about this marketing alternative. Keep reading to learn more!
What Is Direct Mail?
Direct mail is a form of marketing that has been around long before the internet. It consists of sending unsolicited mail directly to an individual, usually in the form of a letter or postcard. Advantages to direct mail marketing include:
- Cutting through email noise
- Providing an interactive form of marketing
- Increasing returns on investment (ROIs)
Why Does Direct Mail Work?
With easy access to digital marketing, many businesses are turning to email and social media as their main form of marketing. Break free from the crowd and reap the benefits of direct mail, where you’ll likely experience less competition.
For example, it’s estimated that 294 billion emails are sent each day.1 Mail, on the other hand, is far less at just 429.9 million pieces.2
While this is still an exorbitant amount of mail, it’s far easier to break through the noise of email by using direct mail.
Related Reading: Direct Mail for Beginners
Stop Competing with Email Noise, Reach Your Audience Through Direct Mail
Setting up your direct mail campaign is easy, especially with a team of experts by your side. Here’s how you can set up your direct mail campaign in five easy steps!
1). Set a Goal
Before anything else, you need to decide why you’re starting a direct mail campaign.
Are you highlighting new vehicles in your inventory? Are you running a service special? Deciding why you’re running a direct mail campaign and what you hope to accomplish is step one.
Related Reading: How to Increase Direct Mail Lead Generation
2). Determine Your CTA
Now that you have an idea why you’re running a campaign, you need to decide on your specific call to action (CTA). This is a one- to two-sentence summary of the next step the reader needs to take. Should they visit your dealership or schedule an appointment online?
Deciding which CTA to use will be effective to boosting your ROI.
Related Reading: Direct Mail Response Rate
3). Create Your Mailing List
Now that you have a strong idea of the direction you want to take with your campaign, you need to decide where you’re sending this information. Some ways you can break up your mailing list is by sending to:
- All residents in a certain area
- Those on certain credit score lists
- Those with a lease/loan expiring
- And much more
This way, you can fine-tune your mail campaign to reach a certain group of people.
Related Reading: Targeted Direct Mail Lists
4). Design Your Campaign
The fun part of running a direct mail campaign is creating your design. With direct mail, you have the freedom to customize your campaign based on size, color, and material.
You also have the option to create unique campaigns that could include 3D designs, QR codes, and more.
Related Reading: Effective Direct Mail Examples
5). Track Your Progress
No campaign is complete without tracking its progress. This way, you can see where things went well and where there’s room for improvement. Also, your next direct mail campaign will likely be better and show even more ROIs than before.
Direct Mail Statistics to Get You Excited About Your Next Campaign
Still unsure a direct mail campaign is more effective than an email campaign? Check out some of these statistics that are sure to change your mind!
Four in 10 Americans Look Forward to Checking Their Mailbox
Checking the mailbox is almost like unwrapping a birthday present. There could be anything inside that was sent to you. Maybe you’ll receive a handwritten letter from an old friend who wants to reconnect. Maybe there’s a menu for a new local restaurant inside that you can’t wait to try.
The possibilities are seemingly endless, which creates a buzzing of excitement while you’re heading to the mailbox. Even those under the age of 30 love checking their mail every day. It’s estimated that 36 percent of Americans under the age of 30 share this excitement for checking the mail.3
Another great thing about direct mail is that it’s loved and accessible by people of all ages. Not everyone may have email or have access to check their email daily, but nearly everyone is able to check their mail regularly.
Direct Mail Has a High Response Rate
The reason you send a piece of marketing material, whether it be with direct mail or email, is to trigger some type of action. Maybe you want to increase web traffic by inviting recipients to click on your website or increase profits by offering vehicle specials. No matter the goal, you want people to respond to your advertisement.
When you choose direct mail over email, you’re more likely to see a higher response rate on your mailers.
Direct mail has an estimated 9 percent response rate for house lists and a 4.9 percent response rate for prospect lists.3 Email, on the other hand, only has a 1 percent response rate for both house and prospect lists.4
If you’re looking for higher response rates, direct mail is the way to go.
It Sticks Around Longer than Email
The goal is to have individuals read your mailer or email as soon as it’s received, but that’s not usually the case. Whether they’re grabbing their mail between errands or dropping it on the counter so they can make dinner, a lot can happen that prevents the recipient from reading your marketing material right away.
Since there’s such a high volume of emails being sent daily, it’s likely that—if not read immediately—the email will get lost into the other hundreds of emails received.
With direct mail, it’s different. It takes up space in the house until it’s read and filed accordingly. There’s a constant reminder they need to filter through their direct mail. Plus, with the average lifespan of direct mail in the house being 17 days, this gives all household members plenty of time to read the mailer and follow your CTA.3
Set Up Your Direct Mail Campaign in Chicago, IL Today
Are you ready to stop competing email noise, break free from the norm, and start seeing success with your marketing campaigns? Setting up a direct mail campaign is the way to go. In doing so, you’re likely to see higher response rates, reach a larger audience, and much more.
Our team at Aspen Automotive is ready to help you, so simply give us a call or send us an email to get started today!
3. https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/direct-mail-statistics/#gref
4. https://www.iwco.com/blog/2019/01/16/direct-mail-response-rates-dominate-other-channels/
