On Feb. 1, Megan J. Brennan became the 74th Postmaster General and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Brennan’s intent to make the struggling agency more efficient, and thereby accessible for all mailers, was welcome news to marketers disheartened by years of red tape and negative press—but change doesn’t happen overnight.
Just in May, the USPS reported a net loss of $1.5 billion for the first three months of 2015 due to a decline in first-class and standard mail (2.1 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively). Overall mail volumes may have taken a hit, but not to the extent many predicted. In fact, the latest round of direct mail statistics is rather encouraging. According to Statista, in 2014 total U.S. marketing spend on direct mail finished at $44.5 billion year-over-year, with 2015 numbers expected to reach $45.7 billion.
Thanks to innovations in design, production and data management, marketers are that much closer to making those projections a reality. That is, if they play it smart. Here are six ways to improve your direct-mail marketing business.
1. Know your audience.
An effective direct mail campaign begins with your targeted audience. What are their needs? How can you establish a connection? “In order to create direct mail that recipients want to receive, you need to know them well,” said Summer Gould, president of Eye/Comm Inc., Santee, Calif. “The power of direct mail is the ability to reach the right person with the right offer to drive their response.”
Advances in data and analytics have enabled mailers to become more flexible and customer-centric. Think Amazon and its ability to recommend products based on a customer’s purchasing habits. Gould said this personalized approach makes direct mail more appealing to recipients. “Since we have collected more information on each customer and prospect, we are now able to highly target them with specific offers to what they are interested in,” she mentioned.
Let’s say you’re creating a campaign for a car dealership. Data based on a customer’s purchasing history, for example, can be used to craft a relevant message for routine maintenance reminders. “If your last purchase was a 2014 Honda Odyssey van and the dealer wants you to come back to have it serviced, the image on the mail piece should be that of your vehicle. Not a 2016 Honda Accord,” said Pat Friesen, cross-channel copywriter and creative strategist of Pat Friesen & Company LLC, Leawood, Kan.
Once you have a better understanding of your audience and goals, be sure to communicate that information to your copywriter and designer. “Marketing is a team effort, not a solo event,” noted Friesen. “Everyone needs to work together to develop creative strategies that work and can be successfully implemented.”
2. Sell the sizzle.
In addition to making content personable, direct-response copywriters are responsible for writing clear text and entertaining prospects. The most important part of their job, however, is to help prospects understand why and how the product or service benefits them. That may include price, performance or exclusivity, Friesen said.
If possible, your copywriter should use proof (e.g., testimonials, customer reviews, test results, statistics) to back up your company’s claim. “Specifics are compelling, generalities are not,” Friesen maintained. “Example: ‘This shirt keeps you cool even when you work outside on a hot summer day’ versus ‘This shirt keeps you three to five degrees cooler on hot summer days ... and we’ve got the test results to prove it!’”
The audience’s retention of facts is another thing to consider, particularly when bulleted lists are involved. “Keep in mind that the average person remembers the first and last thing they read,” Gould said. “When you make a bullet list, use the top and bottom spot to highlight what you feel is most important for them to remember.”
3. Comply with postal regulations.
Several factors need to be considered when designing your piece. First, there’s mail panel space. Gould said marketers are setting themselves up for problems when they allow design to consume the entire piece. In order to get the best postage rates, leave sufficient space for the address and the barcode. “We recommend a 4x2" box when the barcode is included with the address block,” Gould shared. “If you want to use the USPS barcode zone, you must leave the bottom 5/8" free of all printing.”
Then, there’s thickness. “The USPS requires postcards to be .007" or thicker, letters to be .009" or thicker and folded self-mailers must be on 70# text or thicker,” Gould reminded. “If you fall under these, your piece is going to cost you a lot more money in postage. Saving money on paper at that point was a bad idea.”
Gould also stressed the importance of aspect ratio. “For letter size mail, the length divided by the height must be between 1.3 and 2.5,” she said.
4. Use colors wisely.
Colors have varying subconscious effects and often set the mood of a direct-mail piece. As Gould pointed out, red commands attention and creates a sense of urgency. Green is associated with money, the environment, freedom, healing and tranquility. Blue suggests fiscal responsibility and inspires confidence. (Gould said darker shades of blue set an authoritative tone, while brighter shades represent trust and security.) “Think through what you are trying to say, then decide what color works best with that message and tone,” Gould instructed.
Bold colors may seem like the sensible option, but are they relevant to your strategy? “Red and yellow scream, ‘Look at me!’ but these colors may not be appropriate for your message and audience,” Friesen added.
5. Play nice with technology.
The proliferation of mobile, Web and video-based communications requires smarter integration of physical and digital marketing channels. Friesen said some marketers use direct mail as a way to reinforce their email campaigns. This can be accomplished with similar copy, design and images. “Retailers, like Crate & Barrel, do a nice job of creating visual continuity, from direct mail and catalogs to email and in-store promotions and signage,” she commented.
Postcards and other mail pieces can include a QR code embedded with a PURL that takes a recipient to an online landing page or microsite with content customized for that prospect. “When you incorporate your direct mail with online content, you can continue to offer new experiences,” Gould explained. “For instance, when using a QR code or PURL, the landing page can be updated with new offers, so that if the recipient continues to scan or log-in, [he or she] gets more.”
And that’s only the beginning. Progressive marketers are pushing the limits of physical and digital integration through augmented reality (AR). This technology allows anyone with a smartphone or tablet to transform a printed advertisement, postcard or still image into a live 3-D video experience simply by pointing his or her camera at it.
6. Research formats.
Your offer, goal and audience are going to determine the most suitable package for your campaign. “The key to selecting the most appropriate format is to start with understanding your audience and how much mail they receive at home or the office,” Friesen said. “Your piece needs to stand out in the stack.
“You also need to consider if your mail piece has to get past a mail screener in order to reach the intended person,” she continued. “And, what is your business objective? Is it a one-step sell-by-mail/phone effort or a two-step lead generation piece?”
If budget is an issue, postcards might be your best bet—though Friesen warned that postcards can get expensive if they don’t produce the desired results. Other options include #10 solo, 6x9" solo and self-mailers.
Whatever you decide, your format should effectively present your offer, showcase what you’re selling and anticipate potential buying objections, Friesen said. “I once wrote a solo mailing that was selling subscriptions for a pocket size (4x5.5") inspirational magazine,” she recalled. “I created a solo package with an outer that wasn’t much bigger than the magazine that held a letter (4x10"), order card, BRE and a sample of the actual magazine. While this format was more expensive than the postcards and self-mailers it tested against, it outperformed all of them, selling more subscriptions, more cost-effectively.”
Friesen’s success is proof that a little bit of research can go a long way. “The reason I chose this format was that it was appropriate based on research that showed once someone held, saw and read the magazine, they loved it and subscribed,” she concluded. “Bingo!”
Elise Hacking Carr is senior production editor for Print & Promo Marketing magazine, and managing editor for PRINTING United Journal.