Direct mail has officially made a comeback with over a third (34%) of marketers using the method as part of their marketing strategy this year, but not as we know it. Direct mail is going digital.

The generic brown envelope containing a dull corporate brochure is now being replaced with clever, witty creative. Combine enticing content with the latest digital technology including QR codes, augmented reality, videos and automation, and you’re sure to catch your prospects’ attention.

It’s a really exciting time for marketers as the possibilities are endless and the opportunity to drive prospects online is prime. Through scannable direct mail pieces, people can be driven to websites, landing pages and videos at the touch of a button for the ultimate customer experience.

The Royal Mail’s Mail Men campaign last year exemplified this as it encouraged marketers to “discover mail in the digital age.” The Mad Men-styled campaign explored the possibilities of direct mail, appealing to media planners with extensive research that proved traditional mail was not a dead medium.

“Digital media has had a major impact on both consumer behaviour and marketing communications. As digital usage has grown, the core strengths of mail have not only endured but increased... often by driving customers online” said Jonathan Harman, Managing Director, Royal Mail MarketReach.

MarketReach research showed that campaigns that incorporated mail achieved over twice (104%) the market share growth when measured against campaigns without mail in the mix.

A pioneering campaign for The CW television network demonstrated how video, social and direct mail can all work efficiently together. Americhip’s campaign distributed magazines and a miniature screen insert within the magazine displayed a live feed from The CW’s Twitter feed. Recipients would then tweet about the mailer to see their own name appear on their screen.

Another successful direct mail magazine insert was a campaign for Microsoft. To announce the launch of Office 365 and convey its use in the cloud, Americhimp created live Wi-Fi hotspots within Forbes magazine. As soon as tech publications received the drop, they used the hotspot to connect to the internet and post reports of the cool feature.

Companies can also put their products in the hands of prospects through direct mail. A recent campaign for gaming engine Unity combined augmented reality (AR) with direct mail to exemplify the company’s new software for architects.

The mailer contained a moleskin diary with a map and a QR code, which linked to Unity’s AR application. When users examined the map using the app on their phone, a 3D version of the Shard appeared, demonstrating Unity’s use for the architecture, engineering and construction market.

In practice direct mail should be treated as a way of taking your customer or prospect on to the next step on their buyer journey, online. Using PURLs, QR codes or email is the best way to achieve this. The digital element can also help with tracking direct mail, which has been a sticking point for marketeers in the past.

Here are seven top tips on how to construct a successful direct mail campaign with a digital element:

  1. Tell a story: Take the customer on a journey through each touch point in the campaign and make each point matter.
  2. Entertain or educate: Make sure it has substance and depth to engage people.
  3. Make it relevant: Kind of obvious, but these types of campaigns are not cheap, so make sure you build bespoke lists on your recipients to ensure data is correct.
  4. Make it timely: One way to ensure you’re sending campaigns out to the right audience at the right time is to survey them before hand. Understand when budgets are allocated and when annual planning takes place.
  5. Make it personalised: The golden rule with any marketing campaign, but with direct mail you can go the extra mile. Mail merge contact data wherever possible in your messaging.
  6. Make it simple and not too gimmicky: Like any campaign, you have around two seconds to get your audience’s attention. Don’t over complicate things - make their journey as seamless as possible.
  7. Create multiple touch points offline and online for maximum impact: Try out your perfect blend of digital and direct marketing to achieve the ultimate response rate. PPC, Events, Social advertising, QR codes, video, advertising, the list is endless….

 

 By Renaye Edwards, Director at Digital Radish. 

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