Direct Mail

Converting Your Direct Mail List into an Online Audience: Unlocking the Power of Digital Advertising

Converting Your Direct Mail List into an Online Audience: Unlocking the Power of your mailing lists

Our team provides a full analysis of your digital and direct mail needs. Find out more!

In today’s digitally-driven world, traditional advertising, like direct mail, needs to be optimized for an omnichannel strategy. With countless new tools for taking physical mail audiences online, your plans should be channel specific.

In this post, we’ll address three important questions when converting direct mail audiences to online marketing campaign. Additionally, we’ll cover how to choose the right partner for a digital strategy.

Target Mailing Lists Go Mobile

Who is the individual behind your direct mail list?

Creating an omnichannel approach to your direct mail audience has never been easier. However, soliciting a response through online channels is not an art, it’s a science. Potential new customers are overwhelmed by thousands of digital impressions each day.

Bringing a mailing audience to life is about understanding the people behind the household. Whether you have inhouse resources or use a third party analytics service, here’s how to maximize your marketing lists.

 

The prospects behind the mailing lists.

Enrich your mailing list with demographics, psychographic and intent data.

A quality analytics team can enrich and address with an immense amount of information at the household level. While most demographics and even behavior information can be modeled at a zip code or block group level, a quality analytics partner can provide consumer intent at a home or even device level. These are standard learnings for your current social or mobile marketing approaches, but a nuance for direct mail.

 

List segmentation can drive traffic and accelerate new customer growth.

Once you’ve enriched the mailing list with the best information, it’s time to pull the right audience from your list. With traditional mail, you have better control over where someone sees your advertisement, but with digital advertising it’s about when someone sees your ad. This can reshape how segment and what you say to your best customers, increasing the likelihood of a brand engagement or purchase.

Analyzing the effectiveness and response rates of traditional direct mail campaigns.

Historical information should always be brought to surface when taking offline approaches to online markets. A good analytics company will build and generate offline and online data models, helping you set targets and establish a formula for the right ads volume to achieve desired business outcomes.

How do you create a digital advertising strategy from a direct mail campaign?

Your business or brand should consider the type of experience and engagement you want to create. In our first question, we focus our attention to deriving a consumer persona from the available information we have. This step is about translating that to relevance, generating interest and driving action.

On average a desktop browser ad last 10.5 seconds, and a mobile ad last 7.87 seconds. With narrow windows to communicate your brand’s value proposition, you must communicate effectively and stand out.

A checklist for services offered by the market

Design your digital ads to stand out among a crowd.

A physical mail piece is held and present without distribution to the resident. People don’t lay out all their mail and pick what catches their eye. The look at each piece independently, giving a prospect the opportunity to digest the value proposition. In a digital world, you’re sharing that online web real estate with small businesses, large household names and everyone between. So being creative with colors, fonts and positions are essential.

Tomorrow's new customers need the message in half the time.

You are competing in a new mobile world, where apps like TikTok and YouTube are designed to shorten attention spans. Your message must resonate and deliver value to users in fractions of a second. So consider the different media forms you can use through a digital advertising strategy, such as dynamic movement and video.

It's time your digital advertising strategy get personal.

When purchasing display advertising choose your vendors wisely. If you understand understand intent level information about users at the device level, be sure your ad partner offers the technology to take advantage of that and deliver personalized ads. Since the commercialization of the digital printing press, a direct mail campaign has been able to get very personal with it’s prospects. Be sure you capture those same opportunities in your next campaign.

Who can take your mailing list, and message it through digital channels?

Digital advertising is about three major components: audience, media and access to the inventory. For a long time, buying the inventory was considered the coveted prize, and the “special” part of the process. That’s no longer the case.

Buying digital inventory requires you have access to a DSP (Demand Side Platform), where you can purchase the ad inventory as people surf the web. As the space grows, all types of parties are getting access to the DSP, and here’s what you should know.

Marketing teams need support.

Data companies capitalizing on digital advertising trends.

Many data providers now have access to a DSP, either directly or through a partner. If their access is third party, there might be a good reason for that, but focus less on the CPM and more on campaign performance metrics. A quality data partner will not require you use their DSP, but will allow you to export the audience and activate those audiences through another provider, such as a dedicated advertising agency.

Companies who provide direct mail services are adopting new technologies.

You current direct mail service provider may already offer the ability to activate your mailing audience through digital advertising. Ask your current mail service provider how they can assist. If they can help, dive a little deeper on the types of audiences they’re are building, IP based, cookie based or device id. Match rate and accuracy improves in that order: IP, Cookie, Device ID.

Ad agencies are the first seat at the table.

Once an ad agency reaches a certain size, it looks to acquiring a front row seat and purchase inventory directly from their own DSP. Once achieving this, they are able to offer more aggressive pricing (CPM). As in most things, attention is provided to customers with large recurring committed media spend commitments. This is true in all the examples above.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Converting your direct mail lists to online audiences through digital advertising opens up a world of opportunities for businesses looking to expand their reach and maximize their efforts. By leveraging the power of data enrichment, segmentation, and integrated campaigns, you can create highly targeted and impactful marketing initiatives. Embrace the potential of digital advertising, and watch offline markets convert to a valuable asset in the online realm.

Targeted mailing lists go online.

True omnichannel: search engine marketing, social media advertising and paid Search.

When it comes to converting your direct mail audiences to digital advertising, choosing the right partners can play a crucial role in ensuring a successful transition. Partner selection is essential as it can provide you with the expertise, tools, and resources needed to effectively maximize the impact of your digital campaigns.

First and foremost, consider partnering with businesses that have a deep understanding of your industry and the persona behind your mailing list. Look for partners who can bring valuable insights and market knowledge to the table. By aligning with professionals who comprehend your audience’s preferences, pain points, and behaviors, you can develop tailored digital strategies that resonate with them.

Choosing the right marketing services provider.

Deep understanding, with digital advertising examples

Next, assess the partner’s capabilities in creating a robust digital strategy. Look for partners who offer a comprehensive suite of tools and technologies to optimize your campaigns. This includes advanced targeting options, audience segmentation capabilities, and analytics tools to measure the success of your initiatives. A reliable partner will have expertise in utilizing various digital channels, including social media ads, to effectively engage with your target audience and drive conversions.

Speaking of social media ads, selecting partners who have experience in running successful campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn can be immensely beneficial. These partners should have a deep understanding of the intricacies of social media advertising, such as ad formats, audience targeting, and optimization techniques. By leveraging the power of social media platforms, you can expand your reach and engage with your target audience more effectively.

Choosing the right marketing services provider.

True omnichannel: search engine marketing, social media advertising and paid Search.

Lastly, consider the support and guidance the partners offer throughout the process. Look for partners who provide ongoing assistance, strategic guidance, and regular performance updates. A strong partnership is built on effective communication and collaboration, ensuring that your goals are aligned and your campaigns are continuously optimized for maximum impact.

In summary, look for businesses that understand your industry and target audience, offer a comprehensive digital strategy, have expertise in social media ads, and provide ongoing support. By making informed partner choices, you can elevate your digital campaigns, enhance your reach, and achieve optimal results for your business.

Succeed with the right marketing services provider.

The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide for Direct Mail: Boosting Your Marketing Campaigns

The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Direct Mail: Boosting Your Marketing Campaigns

In today’s digital world, direct mail may seem like an ‘old school’ marketing approach. However, it continues to be one of the most powerful tools for reaching and engaging consumers. In terms of guaranteed impressions to the household, many argue it’s still number one.

Suffice to say, with the right strategies and careful planning, direct mail can deliver exceptional results and drive business growth. This buyer’s guide aims to provide you with the valuable insights and practical tips to maximize the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns.

Can we help you design your next campaign?

Direct Mail Guide

How do you optimize for direct mail?

Follow these 9 components to set up your direct mail campaign for success

1. Define Your Objectives

Before diving into the world of direct mail, clearly define your goals and objectives. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, promote a new product or service, or drive sales? Understanding your consumer marketing objectives will shape the entire campaign and ensure you select the right approach.

Example: HelloFresh

HelloFresh’s consumer marketing strategy, was about new potential customers and the market research to find them. Traditionally depending on social media, they turned to direct mail advertising to convey, “Spend less time MAKING and more time Enjoying”. Something powerful and possible with a direct mail marketing campaign. 

Direct Mail Objectives

2. Identify You Audience

A crucial step in direct mail success is identifying and understanding your audience. Research and gather data on your ideal customers to create detailed buyer personas. Consider demographics, interests, preferences, and behaviors to tailor your messaging and design to resonate with them.

Example: New Movers

New movers is a consumer marketing classic focus. Your resident data provider can easily manage this list for marketers. Businesses and brands love promoting to this group.

Direct Mailing guide: Audience

3. Budget and Cost Consideration

Determine your budget early on to guide your decision-making process. Direct mail costs can vary depending on factors like design, printing, postage, and mailing list purchases. Consider the size of your campaign, the complexity of your mailer, and any additional services you may require.

Support: Data and Analytics

Consumer marketing can feel complex and expensive, but the right data and analytics partner has profound effect on ROAS. Someone dedicated to your data footprint, reduces campaign failure.

Budget and Cost Consideration for Mailing guide

4. Consumer Marketing and Compelling Offer

Your direct mail marketing campaign needs to capture the recipient’s attention and deliver a compelling message. Start with a strong headline that entices the reader to explore further. Clearly communicate the benefits of your product or service and provide a clear call to action. Use persuasive language and incorporate storytelling techniques to make your campaign memorable.

Direct Mail Effective Strategies: Call-To-Action (CTA)

Present value, be concise, communicate a compelling offer, and most importantly drive a clear call to action. The CTA must be easy to act on, and be a trackable action.

The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Direct Mail: Consumer Marketing and Compelling Offer

5. Designing Your Direct Mail Marketing Piece

The visual appeal of your direct mailer is crucial to grab attention and make a lasting impression. Use eye-catching colors, high-quality images, and a clean layout. Ensure that your branding elements are prominent and consistent with your overall marketing materials. Consider the size and shape of your mailer, as unique formats can increase open rates.

Effective Strategy for Direct Mailing: Creative

Consumer marketing is about story telling, and the right picture or graphic is worth thousand words. Less is more, as the less text you carry on a marketing piece, the more attention your value proposition and CTA get.

The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Direct Mail: Designing Your Direct Mail Marketing Piece

6. Personalization and Targeting the Consumer

Personalization is key to making your direct mail piece stand out. Leverage the data you have on your ideal audience to create personalized messages, such as using their names, referencing their past purchases, or tailoring the content based on their preferences. This level of customization enhances the likelihood of engagement and response.

Example: ReMax

This real estate company is known for using google street technology, to get the image of a home, then superimpose a for sale sign in front of the image.

The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Direct Mail: Personalization and Targeting the Consumer

7. Choose the Right Direct Mailing List

Invest in a quality consumer mailing list that aligns with your market. You can purchase lists from reliable sources or use customer data and segmentation techniques to create your own target market. Ensure the list is up-to-date and meets your specific criteria to increase the chances of reaching the right people.

Support: Data and Analytics

If you’re looking for new market or combining any offline to online advertising, a marketing centric data partner can help businesses and brands get personal and leverage future technology.

The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Direct Mail: Choose the Right Mailing List

8. Testing and Measuring Success of Direct Mailing

Conduct A/B testing with different variations of your direct mail piece to determine what works best. Test different designs, headlines, offers, or calls to action to optimize your campaigns. Additionally, track and measure the success of your direct mail efforts by monitoring response rates, conversions, and return on investment.

Pro Tips for Direct Mail: Technology is Your Friend

Have a website landing page designed for each campaign and if possible media channel associated to that campaign. Connecting your offline audiences to online platforms such as social is another good ROAS.

The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Direct Mail: Testing and Measuring Success

9. Integration with Digital Channels

Combine your direct mail efforts with your digital marketing strategy for a seamless omnichannel experience. Include QR codes, personalized URLs (PURLs), or unique promotional codes to encourage recipients to engage online. Leverage social media, email marketing, and landing pages to amplify the impact of your direct mail campaign.

Pro Tips for Direct Mailing: Data Partner for Consumer Marketing

Work with a data partner who can build online ad audiences from offline data points, such as mailing address. This opens new marketing efforts and increases impressions.

The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Direct Mail: Integration with Digital Channels

Direct mail remains one of the most effective consumer marketing tools when executed strategically. With this guide, you can craft compelling campaigns that resonate with your target consumers, increase brand awareness, communicate benefits, generate leads, and drive sales.

Remember to continually analyze and refine your approach based on data and customer feedback to achieve optimal results. Don’t leave impressions and opportunity on the table, and work with a data partner who can refine your audience and expose you to omni-channel.