“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” – Mark Twain
Many marketers think direct mail is dead.
Presidents of companies and even marketing directors are making a tragic, strategic and tactical mistake.
Direct mail is still a powerful lead or sales tool for marketing to both consumers and business-to-business.
In fact, direct mail is experiencing a renaissance.
Why?
Because of two factors:
#1: Transactional Data Modeling (TDM)
Direct mail has been changed forever, thanks to transactional data modeling (TDM).
With TDM, these prospects you can model to are based upon actual transactional data. It’s dramatically uncensored response.
But besides their increase in response, they have seen an increase in their prospect universe.
With transactional data modeling (TDM) – we’re able to identify your perfect prospect as never before, based upon their transactional history.
Not “likes”. Not “searches”. But recent transactions.
Response rates are up, mailings are up, and it’s pretty significant.
Here is an example of regular mailing list data and modeled names:
Data modeled names get a much higher response.
#2: Multichannel, Integrated Marketing
The second explosive new factor that is helping direct mail rates to skyrocket is multichannel, integrated marketing.
Multichannel, integrated marketing combines direct mail with digital marketing – email, Facebook, a landing page, pre-roll videos, addressable texts, native ads, banner ads, and more – to drive up response all to the same names getting the client mail pieces.
That means your direct mail recipients also see your offer advertised in their email inboxes, Facebook newsfeeds, and more.
It’s a powerful way to drive up response to your direct mail piece.
Using these two strategies, direct mail can get you incredible response and return on investment (ROI).
Many marketers reject direct mail because they say it is too expensive. But on a cost-per-lead or cost-per-sale basis, direct mail will often cost you less than other types of marketing.
Let me give you a few examples.
- I mailed over 6 million direct mail pieces for an investment search in the last year that was to TDM.
- We have mailed several million direct mail pieces for a Medicare product.
- A company that is generating leads for a sales team have been put on a monthly direct mail campaign and their budget is now shifting from only digital/electronic to direct mail/digital/electronic.
- I mailed over 12 million mailings for an alternative health supplement newsletter.
- And we have just completed a mailing for a TV personality and the launch of their product… 30% of the budget is direct mail.
- For another client, a test of 100,000 pieces for an “academic” product for consumers.
- And we recently mailed 50,000 pieces for a fundraising client to compare it to the online efforts.
- Over 45 million pieces were mailed for an online product.
- A while back, over 62 million pieces were mailed for an investment service, plus another 2 million pieces for their investment, insurance products and other ancillary products.
- For a nutrition marketer, we mailed over 40 million pieces.
With all of the different clients that I have had, I have found that direct mail has been reliably successful.
That’s why we mailed large quantities.
Direct mail will always start off with a small test, say 50,000-100,000. In some cases, with a smaller universe, maybe 1,000-50,000 (see our video briefing on 3-D mailing, appropriate for small audiences).
And based upon the results, we move up to a higher quality.
Whether you are business-to-business or a consumer marketer, whether you are generating leads or sales, direct mail should be part of your overall mix.
Not sure if it will work for you? Give us a call. We would be glad to help you evaluate if direct mail is right for you.
Give us a call at 615-933-4647 or email Craig at [email protected] for more information.
