Spending time on the basic building blocks of a direct mail campaign is crucial to success, especially when the mailing is being sent cross-border.

Digital technology has given businesses a range of new channels through which to reach their customers, from email, to social media, and beyond. These digital channels have grown so quickly that many expected them to become the preferred choice for marketers. And yet, through it all, direct mail has retained its status as one of the most effective marketing tools available. In fact, the average response rate for direct mail is more than 36 times what it is for email, the medium that was once expected to replace it with better response rates.

In its response rate report, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) analyzed Bizo and Epsilon data and found that direct mail achieves a 4.4% response rate, compared to 0.12% for email.

Asendia offers 5 tips for building a successful direct mail campaign that will drive results!

1. Know your target. 80% of the success of your campaign depends on targeting the right people with the right offer. Are they businesses or consumers? Are they male or female? Are they young or old? Being clear about who you are selling to and asking the right questions will provide that all-important focus for every other step in the planning process.
2. Recognize what success looks like. It should be possible to summarize the outcome you want from your direct marketing campaign in one short sentence. Finding one clear call to action is the best way to drive that result. Including discounts or incentives is also known to boost results.
3. Be creative while also considering postage. Use of colour, texture, and clever folds can make an impact. QR codes, augmented reality, or embedded audio and video can also heighten curiosity. Just remember that format, size, and weight all have an impact on postage costs, and these costs vary from country to country.
4. Use quality data. Quite simply, it’s all about your data. A quality mailing list is necessary to reach the right person at the right address. But marketers know well that this is easier said than done. People move and change jobs, and businesses shut down. And, there are more than 200 address formats across the world to get right. Taking care to clean your mailing list is key. With the right data, it’s also possible to personalize messages to the intended recipients, which can nearly triple response rates! And, using direct mail alongside other media channels can help to spark conversations with customers.
5. Know whether your message got through. As the saying goes, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” And, having the capacity to handle responses, whether that means brochure requests, call centre enquiries, or data capture, is vital.

Direct mail doesn’t have to be complicated to work. Planned well, and integrated with other communication channels, it can literally help you bring your marketing message home.

Looking for more expert advice on international direct mailings? Asendia offers a wide range of preparation and delivery services for worldwide distribution. Our expertise covers catalogues, brochures, leaflets, marketing and promotional letters, so you can target potential and existing customers flexibly and reliably. Let Asendia optimise your postage costs and help ensure your global direct mail arrives on time!