Categories: Direct Mail Production

...are you honestly “in touch” with your loyal customers and clients?

Ask yourself…are you honestly “in touch” with your loyal customers and clients? Does your message “grab” the attention of your target audience? Is your information getting into the right “hands?”

These questions may seem a little bit cryptic, so in plain English, if you are only using digital marketing and social networks to communicate with your loyal customers and repetitive clients, you need to reconsider your strategy.

According to research conducted by the United States Postal Service in 2010, the U.S. delivers the most mail to the largest geographic area in the world on a daily basis—150 million businesses and residences.  A staggering 98% of consumers collect their mail every delivery, and 77% of this group sort through it immediately.

More than half of that entire sum of U.S. mail is “direct mail.” By 2015, the global direct mail advertising services is expected to reach a whopping $25 billion. Why? Because direct mail works.

During this time of economic cutbacks, ineffective but cheap e-mail blasts, and over-confident marketers lost in a sea of internet blogs and social networks, the tried and true process of direct mail delivers your message into the hands of your most loyal customers and clients. While most digital marketing efforts disappear with the delete key, or never even arrive due to spam controls and blocked addresses, direct mail actually keeps your business and organization in “direct” communication with your most loyal audience.

Today’s S&H Green Stamps

One of the most successful loyalty programs came to the U.S. in 1896.  Advertising Age reports that the S&H Green Stamp program sealed a relationship between business and consumer by offering perks to their most loyal customers.  It spread across America during the Depression, but also continued to expand when the economy turned for the better in the 1950s.

Does that sound familiar? Many retail chains today offer discounts on your next purchase, and stores like Starbucks reward repeat customers with a free cup of coffee.  But how might this work in every business, including the not-for-profit sector? Creativity.

The most important question is not why, but how.  And that's where creative thinking comes into play.

Here are just a few tips on how to get noticed and get a response:

• Think Outside the Envelope: An original and creative envelope design will help you get noticed and stand out like a rose among the bulk mail thorns. Color, cutouts and copy are equally important.
• Punch Up Your Parcel:  Make sure your mail stands out through creative packaging.  Oh look! Another brown box (yawn).
• Copy That:  Effective messaging is direct, clear and concise. Consider asking a question that will benefit them for their loyalty.
• What Do You Think? Start a conversation with your loyal customers. Asking for advice is always flattering and often builds a relationship.
• Who Doesn’t Like FREE Stuff?  Knowing what your audience “wants” is one thing, Giving them what they “need” is often more successful. Creative sources will help you with the ROI.

..it’s arguable that a one-size-fits-all approach is a big mistake.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, it’s reported that loyalty programs should be tailored to the target audience and it’s arguable that a one-size-fits-all approach is a big mistake. Understanding what your loyal group values is the first step to its effectiveness.

Now that you’ve asked yourself these important questions about your strategy, it’s time for your call-to-action with creative direct mail: Signed. Sealed. Delivered.