Direct mail campaigns versus digital marketing—it’s the old stepping aside to make way for the new, right? Well, that may not be the case. After all, if you want a marketing campaign that reaches people across channels and cuts through the noise of the digital age, integrating direct mail in your digital campaigns can maximize your impact. However, when your company is usually digital-first, it can leave you vulnerable to some rookie mailer mistakes when you first start trying to add in direct mail.
Let’s cover a few of these mistakes as well as tips to make sure your digital mailer campaign runs as smoothly as that automated email campaign you built last week.
The Common Mistakes That Digital Marketing Companies Make
1. Lacking Clear Targeting and Personalization
You know how important targeting and personalization are in marketing. A 2022 survey revealed that “62% of consumers said a brand would lose their loyalty if they delivered an un-personalized experience.” Forgetting the real people that you’re targeting can be catastrophic to your ROI.
Get Personal
As a digital marketing company, you have access to a wealth of data—so use it. Analyze data from your CRM, loyalty programs, and online interactions with your customers to create personalized messaging and offers for your direct mail campaign. Strategically segment your audience into broader groups with similar needs who would benefit from similar mail experiences.
2. Ignoring Design Consistency Across Channels
One of the cardinal rules of digital marketing is making sure your digital ad matches your landing page. So, why would you make that mistake in your digital mailer campaign? Your brand matters and should be recognizable to consumers—no matter the channel. Don’t miss out on the effectiveness of mail because people can’t recognize your company in print.
Don’t Be Two-Faced
Follow your brand guidelines and keep things consistent. Get your designers and marketers on the same page to create something eye-catching and novel, while still showcasing your brand. You can also work directly with an expert in design and print to ensure quality.
3. Failing to Integrate Direct Mail with Digital Efforts
When you treat direct mail and digital marketing as separate efforts, you’re working harder, not smarter. Doing so uses up energy and resources instead of supporting your goals for desired growth.
Teamwork Wins
When you integrate your marketing efforts, you maximize your impact. In fact, 68% of marketers that combine direct mail with their digital efforts saw increased website traffic. You can do this too by including QR codes or personalized URLs (PURLs) on your direct mail piece and creating custom landing pages or promo codes to track responses to your mail campaign.
4. Neglecting the Follow-Up
Sales and marketing work hand in hand, and sales reps know all too well that only 2% of sales are made during the first point of contact. That means 98% of sales are missed if you don’t follow up! Failing to follow up in a digital mailer campaign shows a lack of commitment, even if that’s not your intent.
Try, Try Again
Follow-ups should be as much of a part of your campaign as the advertising you run. Don’t be afraid to use the digital tools you have at your disposal to connect with your direct mail list again. And, if it’s appropriate, automate parts of the process with email templates or scheduling tools.
5. Overlooking ROI Tracking Tools
As a marketer, you constantly face a battle between creativity and conversion. The best marketing, of course, does both. But if you aren’t tracking ROI or the data that’s most salient to you, you won’t be able to measure your success. Not only will your finance team be breathing down your neck, but your future campaigns could suffer.
Become The Sherlock of ROI
Keep leveraging digital campaigns and direct mail together by adding tracking codes, personalized URLs, and QR codes to your direct mail campaigns. When you utilize your CRM and analyze the data you’re receiving both during and after a campaign, you can determine just how effective your campaign was.
CPMI Solutions Has the Tools You Need
If you’re just getting into (or back into) the direct mail world, having a partner is invaluable—especially one who can help you in both strategy and execution. CPMI Solutions is a solid team of marketers who specialize in printed campaigns. We can help you prepare, optimize, and implement your best digital mailer campaign to date.
Upgrade your digital campaigns with CPMI Solutions and improve how you connect with your customers both physically and digitally.
