Direct mail begins and ends with your audience

Direct mail marketing has been used for centuries and despite many advancements in technology, it remains one of the most effective direct marketing techniques.

At the core of every successful direct mail campaign there are three critical features: data, call to action and creative. Data is particularly important as it allows you to establish a target audience and devise the best ways to reach them. Once you have identified your target audience, you can begin to tailor your campaign toward their needs and desires. Let’s explore the steps required to build a data focused direct mail campaign that is customer-centric.

Beginning with your target audience

Your direct mail campaign may feature beautiful creative and a clever call to action, however these aspects are meaningless in the hands of the wrong audience. You must identify the people most likely to use your products or services and carefully consider them before planning the design elements of your campaign. By always keeping your target market in mind, you will be able to create an effective, engaging campaign that potential consumers can relate to.

Ending with your target audience

Direct mail campaigns rely solely on audience engagement. Your direct mail marketing must not only be eye-catching and captivating, it must also feature a distinct call to action. Your audience, again, is your most important asset. They must feel compelled to engage with your brand in some way in order for your campaign to be successful. Tracking audience response and engagement is also a great way to gather data for future campaigns.

Here are three quick tips to build a data focused direct mail campaign

1. Invest in a database

Invest in quality data solutions that will help you to identify and reach your ideal audience. A good data solutions package will provide targeted mailing list rental, barcode addressing and database maintenance.

3. Analyse

All is not lost if your first direct mail campaign does not receive an ideal response, it can still be used to gather information. Through analysis of your previous campaigns, you can devise a more effective approach for the future.

3. Segment

Sometimes it isn’t appropriate to target your entire audience with a blanket strategy. Instead, break your data into smaller segments and tailor your approach to suit each micro-audience.

Direct Mail Solutions offer valuable industry insights to ensure your direct mail campaign is a success. We provide an extensive range of data solutions, designed to identify your ideal target audience and help you effectively segment your market.