With the spotlight on websites, search engines and social media, it is easy to think traditional methods like direct mail and print advertising are obsolete. However, they are still very effective, especially for smaller enterprises. They are a proven way to reach customer segments who are not exposed to any form of digital advertising.
Why Offline Still Works Alongside Digital
Digital marketing works great when targeting people who are searching or scrolling, but not everyone is online all day. Even people who are online get ads that fill their screens to the point where they just get ignored. A piece of marketing material like a letter or leaflet can give you an advantage your competition doesn’t have. When your marketing material comes through the mail as a real physical item it can have more impact than advertising digitally.
Offline advertising builds trust in a different way. Something personalised in the real world feels a lot more substantial and intentional compared to an ad that scrolls in and out of someone’s feed. For certain segments or audiences, that’s really important.
The companies that benefit the most from traditional marketing rarely rely on it over digital marketing. They will usually combine traditional marketing with digital marketing, where the different marketing channels build upon one another.
Direct Mail Fundamentals
Direct Mail is defined as the physical shipping of letters, postcards, or ads to a segmented population. The good news is that many businesses report results that are far beyond their goals when leveraging direct mail campaigns.
Direct mail marketing success comes from two factors: a targeted list and a quality mailing list.
Targeting
A mass mailer sent to every household along a single street is unlikely to have the same success as a mailer sent to a more specifically targeted audience. Consider your audience. Determine the potential need your product meets for various demographic segments: location, household make up, age, income, previous spending, etc. Then tailor your mailing list accordingly.
List-building
Your best customer list is comprised of your own data. Customer data shows interest in your business, and is made over time. Purchased or rented lists can be used, but are only recommended when the offer truly relates to the data being used, is compliant with data protection laws, and opt in permissions and opt out preferences are confirmed.
- Keep your own customer list clean and up to date
- Segment your lists based on commonalities. It will be more effective than treating every contact the same.
- Model and email the first few to make sure everything will match the pictures in your head.
- Always include a clear way for people to respond or opt out
Print Marketing
Print encompasses flyers, leaflets, and newspaper ads. It is most successful when used in a more focused way, either in a particular target area or for specific audiences.
A few situations where print marketing tends to earn its keep:
- Local businesses which serve a specific region by leafleting around their new business.
- Trade show and event attendance, where attendees get a takeaway with a well-designed brochure.
- Sectors where a printed piece still carries weight, such as property particulars or professional services brochures
- An example of extending a digital campaign may include including a leaflet with an offer that directs users to a specific web page.
Any marketing spend has an ideal return result. This result is how you know if any money you’ve spent was worth it. While some marketing methods require intensive tracking, with print marketing you can make sure you have your metrics in place to make a good decision with how you spend your marketing dollars.
Sector Spotlight: Charity And Non-Profit Mail Campaigns
Direct mail remains popular among charities due to its specific advantages. Fundraising requires trust and an emotional connection and direct mail is able to provide that while banner ads fall short.
Charity mail campaigns tend to follow a few consistent principles that any organisation can learn from:
- Tell a specific, honest story rather than relying on generic appeals
- Personalise wherever possible, using the supporter’s name and their previous involvement
- Clarify your request for support. Avoid making your request for support vague.
- Follow up consistently, treating fundraising as a relationship rather than a single transaction
These principles have plenty of applications outside of charity too. Generally speaking, specific, honest, and personal messages have more impact than generic messages, even when selling something.
Combining Online And Offline Tracking
The main historic objection to offline marketing is that it’s difficult to track performance compared to online advertise that contains built in clicks for performance tracking. That objection is noticeably diminished by the advent of more straightforward ways to track offline marketing responses to specific campaigns.
- Unique discount codes printed on each mailer or leaflet, so you can see exactly which campaign generated a sale
- Dedicated landing pages or short website URLs that are used solely in a specific offset print or mail campaign.
- Unique phone numbers assigned to a particular campaign, so incoming calls can be attributed correctly
- Simple questions at the point of enquiry, asking new customers how they heard about you
Creating this tracking mechanism on any and all offline campaigns, big or small, means you no longer have to assume if print and mail are working. In the end, you will have proof on what offline spend is bringing in, making it easier to defend and improve the budget.