There’s a lot to consider when creating a direct mail campaign for your dealership. What call to action (CTA) will yield the highest results? Which style mailer is best for your goal? These are just some of the things you must keep in mind.
At Aspen Automotive, we aim to make setting up a direct mail campaign as easy as possible. That’s why we’re sharing these 11 direct mail marketing secrets. By incorporating any—or ideally—all of these secrets into your campaign, you’re sure to see better results than you expected.
Let’s pull back the curtain and take a peek at these direct mail marketing secrets!
1). Personalize Your Mailers
Personalization is key with direct mail. Personalizing your mailers is a fast and easy way to boost the chance your mailer is read. Simply adding the recipient’s name to a piece could be enough to make them curious to learn more about why you’re writing to them.
Other ways you can personalize mailers include:
- Handwriting the address on an envelope
- Adding a stamp
- Adding a handwritten signature
Adding a stamp may not seem like a way to personalize your mailers, but it could help it appear less as bulk, generic mail and more like it was created specifically for them.
2). Add Freebies
Everyone loves free stuff, so why not add materials to your mailer?
If the mailer includes pre-approved financing information for a model that the recipient recently browsed on your website, maybe you can send a car freshener or lanyard with your dealership’s name on it to let them know they’ve been pre-approved.
You can also include everyday useful items, like pens, note paper, and other daily items. This way, whenever they use the stationery, they’re likely to think of your dealership.
3). Think About Color
When designing your mailer, try and keep basic color psychology in mind. Use colors like green when talking about finance, red when trying to make a statement, and blue when trying to come off as trustworthy and dependable.
Choosing colors that match your goal can help boost the emotional impact.
4). Add Texture
Everyone is used to flat mailers. Stand out from the crowd by adding texture to your mailers. Some ways you can experiment with texture include:
- Selecting different paper types
- Adding a raised font
- Thinking beyond flat mailers
If you receive a lumpy piece of mail, chances are you’re more inclined to open it and see what’s making it so thick. The same is true with 3D mailers, such as boxes.
5). Choose the Right Type of Mailer
Make sure you’re using the right type of mailer for your campaign. Typically, postcards are best used for quickly capturing attention, while letters are used to share long-form, confidential information.
Choosing the right type of mailer helps get your message across in the right way while also ensuring you stick to your marketing budget.
6). Ensure Value
When someone takes the time to read a mailer, they want to get something out of it. Make sure that the mailer provides the recipient with value. This could be as simple as letting them know of new vehicles that have arrived at your showroom, or even mentioning the types of service their model needs at certain intervals.
7). Make Your Goal Clear
On top of providing value, you need to let the recipient know what to do after reading your mailer. Should they visit your showroom? Schedule service? Make your goal clear by providing a CTA that’s clear and concise.
8). Send the Mail to the Right Audience
You spend time creating a campaign. Ensure the right people see your mailer. Create your campaign based on age, income, zip code, and other demographics to yield the best results. You can also use more in-depth data solutions to send mailers based on credit scores.
9). Grow a Collection of Swipe Files
A collection of swipe files is essentially an ever-changing list of marketing materials you saw that caught your eye while on your way to work or between plays of your favorite football team. The ads and other types of marketing materials in swipe files could be used as inspiration for future campaigns, or as that boost you need to create your next standout campaign.
10). Experiment with Headings
Headings are the first thing someone sees. It’s crucial you use headings that will immediately grab the attention of the recipient. Our suggestion is to never go with the first heading you think of. In fact, write down as many possible headers you can think of and choose the one that’s the most eye-catching.
11). Always Track Your Mailers
Once you follow these tips and send out a mailer, that doesn’t mean the work is done. Now you must track this campaign. Tracking will not only help you get a more accurate return on investment (ROI), but also will generally help you know how successful your campaign was.
This way, you can work to ensure your next campaign is even better.
Put These 11 Direct Mail Marketing Secrets to Use Today!
Now that you’ve learned the 11 direct mail marketing secrets, are you ready to create your next automotive campaign? If so, let the team at Aspen Automotive help create the most successful campaign by utilizing our marketing, creative, and production experts.
With our help, you’re sure to find the whole process seamless and easy.
Ready to get started? Simply give us a call or send us an email to create your first direct mail campaign today!
