When done correctly, direct mail can be a highly effective resource for entrepreneurs and small businesses, even when working together with email marketing. Here are 23 ways your direct mail may be failing you. And although there is talk that the U.S. Postal Service is going to cut down the number of days it delivers mail, entrepreneurs will still capitalize from direct mail to grow their business. Use these 23 reasons as guidance to help you develop and implement effective direct mail campaigns going forward.
Call to action is bad or nonexistent: Once you’ve got them reading your piece you’ve got to tell them what you want them to do.
Forgetting to test: Direct mail marketing is the art of constant testing. You’ve got to be committed to trying different approaches from everything like design and copy to packaging and offers.
Too much fluff and hype: If you sound too much like a used car salesman you’ll end up in the garbage faster than you can say garbage. Practice the art of generating excitement without using too much hype.
Bad grammar and no proofing: Yes, the whole world is working off text message language right now, or at least it seems that way. Don’t allow your direct mail marketing to go this route.
Can’t grab their attention in headline: Think of the last time you received a direct mail marketing piece. As a direct mail tip remember how you responded to one all because the headline was absolutely catchy?
Not studying what works: Direct mail marketing has been around for many, many years and thousands of companies have made a lot of money. Before you do any direct mail marketing you should study what has worked and what has not.
No follow up plan: Congratulations. You’ve just sent out a direct mail marketing to your target customers. Now what?
Design that doesn’t work: I’d advise against using a tie dye-themed design if your target audience is just not that into tie dye. I’d strongly advise against it, actually.
Poor functionality: Your direct mail marketing piece must do more than just look pretty. It must work towards getting the desired response.
Bad copywriting: Arguably the most important element of the entire piece. You’ve got to know when to be clever, witty, funny, serious, etc. Know your audience.
Targeting not on target: Speaking of knowing your audience, do you really know them? When’s the last time you did a customer audit to figure out what motivates them?
Going cheap on the postage: Sometimes it makes more sense to pay a little more to arrive a certain time. Is it worth more to spend more if you ultimately make more? You know the answer.
Creative doesn’t hit the spot: In marketing, creativity is ultra important. Think about what gives your creative juices a boost and really spend some time thinking about how to grab your customers’ attention.
Not integrating with other marketing: So many small businesses and entrepreneurs have missed out on the chance to tie in their direct marketing with other marketing efforts. Large retailers have become successful at integrating direct mail with email marketing, for example.
Lost opportunity to drive traffic to Web and blog: A follow-up to the previous direct mail tip, but today it’s a natural fit to use direct mail marketing to drive people to a Web site, blog, Facebook page, Twitter page, etc.
Contests that fail: Contests are a great way to get interaction with your customers. But if the contest doesn’t prompt someone to participate, something went wrong and it can destroy the campaign ROI.
Looking like your little brother made it: It may not be the best direct mail marketing piece ever made, but it at least has to look professional. Remember, your name is on it and people will create a perception of your company.
Lack of branding: You’ve got to always establish and extend your brand identity, including messaging, design and logo. Make sure every direct mail marketing piece always reflects your company’s branding.
Going one and done: If you’re going to just send out one direct mail marketing piece and then expect huge results, don’t waste your time. All you’ll do is create more trash for the earth. Direct mail marketing is a commitment that pays off over time.
A printer that doesn’t understand your business or customers: Yes, it matters. A good printer can make your direct mail marketing because they may be able to offer great strategy and insight where you lack experience.
Not having a DM strategy with calendar to plan out the year: I can’t underscore enough the importance of NOT shooting from the hip. Above all else, have a long-term game plan in place so that your direct mail marketing can become strategic.
Paying attention to package size (too much will waste money while too small won’t get noticed): The answer to this one is different for every company, and every mailing. As a direct mail tip study your campaign, offer, incentive and customer to know which direction you should go.
Using phrases that tell people it’s junk mail: Avoid using phrases like “No Gimmick,” and “Financial Freedom,” which tend to set off alarms in people.
Bad use of testimonials: The right testimonial can enhance the value of any direct mail marketing campaign. The wrong one can quickly make you look like an infomercial.
Which of these direct mail tips will help you the most in your efforts to design and implement an effective direct mail marketing campaign? Tell us by leaving a comment.
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Hi John,
Most of those are spot on. I remember the worst piece of direct mail I ever recieved was from a lawn mowing company. This would be fine on a normal person but my address was appartment 23. I asked my neighbor if they got one as well and they did also so I guessed that they had wasted at least a few hundred dollars on people that have no use for there service.
Thank you and feel free to connect.
Direct mail as we all know only gives you a 1% or less in return on your investment. However, depending on the industry and the demographics of which a company is targeting direct mail may be the best resource for advertisement/awareness/branding. A friend of mine uses direct mail exclusively and has seen a 90% return on investment. Again it all depends on the market and demographics.
Kevin, thanks ad I’m glad you brought that up. I receive those little flyers hanging on my door all the time from companies offering carpet cleaning and pressure washing. It never works. Why? Because it looks so cheap. you’ve got to find a way to make a little investment so that you give yourself some credibility.
Hi Christine. Knowing your audience is so very critical in the success/fail of ANY marketing technique you employ. Direct marketing may not be ideal for a specific group as much as email marketing may fail miserably for another demographic.
John,
Good list! In the B2B space, I would argue that two problems create most of the failures. First, not targeting the right prospects. If a company targets the wrong audience, nothing else will save the mail piece. Second, not making the right offer. Increasingly, B2B lead generation campaigns (whether using direct mail or e-mail) offer prospects access to high-value, relevant content (usually more educational than promotional). If the content offered is not well-matched to the target audience, response rates will be low.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Great input, David. you want me to respond to your postcard? Motivate me with a great offer or incentive. I get coupons for diapers every Sunday. I use the best ones and toss the not so great ones.
I think if you want it to be success then you need to establish relationship with the receiver by other methods. It will work if you add some value to it so customers see it as a gesture of personal touch. More personal it is it will attract recepients to respond.
John,
Both great answers. Your database (list) is the most important factor for success, but don’t forget the other elements that comprise a good direct mail piece.
Offer - make the offer relevant to the promotion and at least be sure it has a perceived value.
Creative - be creative. There’s a lot of message clutter out there (not just with direct mail) and so you’re competing for attention. Smart creative; not gimicky. Appealing to the eye; not scary. Good design; not cluttered. You also need to think about the most appropriate delivery vehicle - postcard, letter, oversized letter, dimensional - all of these have their place and are successful tools for the right product.
Copy - I’m putting copy separate from creative because I think it’s importance is greater now with that clutter problem. Be relevant, be personal, be appealing, be direct and to the point, and most importantly be respectful.
Direct mail is not dead, it’s just been invaded by people who aren’t willing to adapt to new direct mail trends and techniques.
Good luck!
Chuck
As Christine pointed out direct mail usually is at 1% return. The goal is to get the audience to read the piece. When consumers sort their mail - they put things in two piles Pile A -keep and read - Pile B - throw away. Sometimes the piece will get one or two seconds before going into Pile B.
Make sure the creative is compelling and has a offer that needs to be responded to immediately. Also, drill down your target list if you are purchasing a list. Just don’t buy - Adults 25-54 because the list is less expensive. Add a few qualitative filters - HH income, zip codes, age, gender, etc .
Awesome points, Chuck. Thanks.
Don, happy to get your thoughts.
Like many of the comments have said, this is an all-around excellent post. Specifically, the point about Testimonials is critical to tying the piece together. Prospects want to know what people have said about your work, but at the same time you need to make certain it is a credible source.
I’m a direct market designer, so I key into the design elements. One thing I’ve noticed in working with new designers is their apparent need to be “clever.” They want to show off their design skills, especially if they’ve come from a non-marketing design background.
It really takes effort to drill into them that certain design principles are used over and over because they work, even if it doesn’t seem clever.
They may not make you feel creative, but the point isn’t to boost your ego… it’s to sell a product or service. (In truth, there are many ways to be creative, but beginners tend to apply that idea incorrectly at first.)
I wrote an article about a business I encountered that made a horrendous choice with a font. If you’re interested, it’s here:
http://magalogguy.com/blog/2010/01/03/readability-lessons-from-a-bb-that-got-it-all-wrong/
Hey Kyle, glad you chimed in. Sometimes the first thing I read is the testimonial because when it’s done the right way it can be similar to an online review left on a Web site from a customer.
Mike this is excellent. Nothing against all the wonderful designers out there, but sometimes you’ve got to shelve the ultra design elements for the sake of doing what motivates the customer. It’s a delicate balance.
When you send direct mail, even if you address it to the appropriate person, you don’t know that your message is getting to the right person. Often, people in the position of making financial decisions have gate keepers who toss Direct Mailings, which are simply seen as Junk Mail unless you can put something of value into it.
For example, I just registered my business name as an LLC in my state. Within a week, I had a stack of direct mailings about various things that I don’t need, so it all got binned and I even got myself a gatekeeper (my husband, who does a lot of the paperwork side of things) to just trash any “junk mail”. Lost in there, unless I’m expecting it from someone whose name he and I both know and recognize, might be your Direct Mail advertising something I actually do need.
The real question that most Direct Mail ads fail to address is how to cut through the noise and clutter and make your message stand out as important and genuinely useful.
1) Wrong list = Wrong Market
2) Because it´s not opened
3) Beacuse the headline doesn’t capture Interest (Read Caples, Tested Advertising Methods)
4) First Paragraph doesn’t pull
5) Weak copy doesn’t keep interest
6) No clear instructions or call to action
Read John Caples, John Carlton, Gary Halbert
Just my two cents.
Great point, Elizabeth. There’s lots of clutter out there. I can tell you from my personal experience, it’s a little bit design, little bit copy, little bit offer and a little bit luck (timing is everything). Making sure you’ve done your homework and that you’re testing different methods with continuous mailings will increase your chances. As a new dad I’m always reminding myself that not one thing will always make my newborn stop crying - because the answer seems to be slightly different every time. But the more I try new things I realize what seems to work more than others.
Out-dated mailing addresses
Wrong addresses
Syntax errors
My favorite failure was from Pitney Bowes. The variable data was messed up and it had our address (and we got several of them) each with names of other other people at other companies
When it remains unopened because it’s not viewed as relevant to the recipient.
The success of a direct mail piece depends on the right list, the right offer, and the right package. It should be a good-looking piece, easy-to-read, with an attractive offer directed to a targeted list. We work, first with our clients to define the target, then the offer, and, finally the package
The attention span of recipient is less than 60 seconds. So senders needs to be creative enough to grab that attention time.
As a direct marketer, I work with over 50 casinos across the nation. Nothing is more important than the list. Then the compelling offer with call to action, then the design.
I don’t care how compelling the offer in a great looking package is, if you mail it to the wrong audience.
I’ve seen small postcards pull huge responses because of the target and the offer. Segment and test !!
Hard to argue those points, Stephen.
Great tips, all around. I recently had a discussion on the validity of DM in our eco-friendly environment. My response was, that when done correctly - and in tandem with a complete marketing mix - DM is as valuable as ever. Especially because it seems we actually get less, so you have an opportunity to stand out more. Messaging is key in all aspects of a mix, but the list- current and targeted - is essential with DM.
And Mike does make a good point on design. It’s important to design for results, not ego.
For a direct mail piece to be successful (meaning it achieves or exceeds the desired ROI), each element of the package must consistently answer the WIIFM question (What’s In It For Me?).
- Why should I open the envelope?
- Why should I read the letter?
- Why should I read the lift note?
- Why should I take action (call you/visit your website/mail back)?
The answers to these questions must be relevant to the reader and have tangible answers. If any of the answers are weak, the direct mail piece will not succeed. Remember…a chain (or direct mail piece) is as strong as its weakest link.
Thanks, Jim. I believe DM truly does work. I also believe the initial cost to get the ball rolling is what scares off a lot of small businesses.
Thanks for the comment, David.
John,
I don’t know that it does. I do think that it takes a lot more exposures than people realize. You don’t get results from 1 or 2 mailings, but you have to do it repeatedly over a long period of time. Of course, the offer has to be good and it has to be well presented.
My company offers outsourced prospecting. It is very effective. Especially if combined with direct mail.
Hope this is helpful.
Jim
It is annoying to the consumer who is already overwhelmed by information. The last thing they want to do is sift through physical junk mail.
Great post, and most of the tips were spot on. One thing I’m a little confused at is some commenters talking about direct mail giving a 1% return…
If you’re only getting a 1% return - you seriously need a new copywriter, new product, and/or new angle. There’s no “set number” saying you’ll only get a certain amount of return. It depends on various factors.
I’ve seen direct mail pieces get anywhere from negative returns to over 1000% returns. One guy I know got $20 back for every $1 he spent…
So anyway…to those talking about a 1% return - you’re learning about direct mail from the wrong people!
Jeremy Reeves
http://www.ControlBeatingCopy.com
Hi Jeremy, thanks for chiming in. I think people were just making a point and they feel the same way as you.
The Perception of Spam.
It fails because the the value proposition to the recipient isnt high enough. If you build in a great value proposition you will see response rates of 10-155
E
I agree with Jim, that people typically underestimate how many contacts it takes to convert a new prospect. This can be addressed by planning multiple mailings to the same audience, or by incorporating mailing with other forms of marketing & advertising. The absolute most important consideration with any mailing is the mailing list. Most experts agree in both the for-profit & nonprofit environment, 50-70% of the success of a campaign is based on the mailing list. Along these same lines, direct mail directed at existing customers or donors has substantially higher response rates than direct mail sent to an unfamiliar prospect audience. Existing customers are like low-hanging fruit and should not be overlooked for additional business and referral business. Those seeking to acquire a prospect list should ask a lot of questions about what’s available; most people are unaware of the variety of highly targeted lists that are available today.
Weak copy can also be the culprit. For example, If copy isn’t emotionally evocative then readers aren’t motivated to respond.
It’s also helpful to understand how prospects read direct mail. People scan so it’s important that copy quickly catches your reader’s eye. Things like bullet lists, graphics, catchy captions and sidebars help draw the reader in.
Direct mail efficiency can also be raised when it’s integrated with digital media channels.
Sonya Carmichael Jones
It usually fails because the list is bad.
The worst public fail was Ebiza (they sent their big holiday catalog mailing to the people LEAST likely to buy). They went out of business.
The worst I’ve gotten were pitches for car insurance (I live in New York City, no car) and a burial plot at St. Michael’s Cemetery (I’m not Catholic).
If the list is wrong, everything else will fail. You can’t make money selling tractor supplies to people in big cities.
Once you get the right list, then the offer (whatever it is someone gets when they respond) and the creative (the copy and design) have to do the rest of the work.
Sonya and Jodi, both very relevant points.
Top Three Reasons Direct Mail Fails
1. “You’ve Got Junk Mail”
Low “open rates” stop direct mail before it ever has a chance. To increase “open rates” try using stamps instead of metered postage. It gives a subtle perception of personalization. Also, try using handwritten envelopes or fonts that mimic handwriting.
Inserting a CD or other multimedia piece, can dramatically increase success. When you feel something inside an envelope you get curious. This automatically increases any perception of value. You also reach people who are more likely to listen to you than read your long letter. Most marketers would love the opportunity to talk directly to a possible client on a (mostly uninterrupted) car ride home. These CD’s are inexpensive to create “in-house.”
2. Ineffective Copy Writing (kind of)
If your milk toast headline doesn’t POP your audience has no reason to read more. There is a science to writing headlines. Direct mail users should educate themselves on the tried and true and go from there.
To much copy about the company is boring. We can do this, we are located here, we are great, we won this award, we, we, we. To increase response, copy writing should speak to the needs and wants of your demographic. It’s not the time to toot your own horn.
3. Call to Action!
I can’t count how many direct mail pieces I’ve gotten from dental office that sent nothing more than a glorified business card with glossy photos. Sure, I opened the envelope because there was something inside that made me curious. I was even happy to find a nice tooth shaped magnet that I put on my fridge right away.
But… I had no reason to respond to the piece, no reason to give the letter a second thought. I may need dental work right now but unless there is a reason for me not to put it off any longer, chances are I’ll wait longer and find my dentist by a Google search. If there had been the offer of a free tooth whitening for new patients in the next 30 days (a $350 value!), that could have gotten my attention. In this economy, it’s never been truer, you have to give before you get.
Excellent summary, Shaw.
THANK YOU SHAW:-)
Direct mail is as much an artform as it is a science. Over the years we have told our clients it is about the list, the message and the call to action.
If you do not keep these three things in mind when developing the direct mail piece you are destined to failure.
Over the years we have had a 45% return rate on average when doing direct mail for casinos. Why? They know their audience better than any market I have ever known. They actual mine the data that they collect minute by minute on each player based upon the cards you put into the machines.
They know what you play, for how long, when you come to visit and how much you win or lose. With that information, they can develop campaigns that sniper attack various groups within their database. Different offers go out based upon how valuable you are to the casino and the offers are designed specifically to entice that person to come in within a specific period of time to do a specific thing.
IT WORKS!
Most companies do not have a clue how valuable the information they have from their client loyalty cards.
Another secret is bumpy mail. An organization, who unfortunately is not my client, sends me mail every year. The first piece shows up end of August and is either a calendar, holiday cards or something of that ilk. Three weeks later, like clockwork, comes the ASK letter. “Now that you have had some time to enjoy gift X, we would hope that you would make a donation of Y to support us again this year” Guess what, they get a cheque from us yearly. Another piece of interest, 5 of my friends get the same package from the same group, the ask amounts are all different based upon what we gave the previous year.
Mine the data, make a compelling call to action, show value in your offer. DM can and DOES still work.
It’s too easy to get your head handed to you in the direct mail business. There are rules and if you think outside the box, you are in trouble.
Here is a primer on the 40/40/20 principle for direct mail (and all direct marketing) that if you stick with, your chances for success are greatly increased.
Regards,
Jim Gilbert
1. The copy isn’t compelling: The benefit of opening the piece isn’t clear to the recipient.
2. The list is wrong, and the piece has fallen into the hands of someone who is outside the target audience, so the offer is irrelevant.
3. The piece isn’t part of a sequence of 3-6 other communications across both online and offline channels, including at least email and two other direct-mail formats.
4. The copy isn’t compelling. It hasn’t touched some deep emotional need or brought up some basic fear the recipient has, and suggested a way to satisfy the desire or keep away the fear.
5. The address is bad because the list wasn’t cleaned.
6. The piece never got to the intended recipient because the campaign made no effort to befriend or bypass the gatekeeper.
7. The piece was too flat to get noticed, so it went into the trash.
8. It was obviously an ordinary piece of direct mail with no clear benefit that anyone would care about.
9. It was too ugly for the market.
10. It was too pretty for the market.
11. It failed to meet current postal regulations and got dumped at the post office.
12. There wasn’t enough money in the permit holder’s account, so it’s still sitting on the dock at the post office.
13. The copy was too short to tell the story.
14. The copy was too long to hold the reader’s attention.
15. The copy needed subheads and visual elements to keep the reader moving through the page, and to create a double readership path so a nonreader could skim the subheads and picture captions and get the whole story anyway.
16. The copy went into too much irrelevant detail.
17. There was no clear call to action.
18. There was no deadline for action, after which the offer would expire.
19. The offer was weak.
20. The list, the offer and the piece were all terrific - but when customers tried to order, the people who answered the phone wouldn’t or couldn’t take the orders.
21. The phone number and/or the web address were wrong, so prospects couldn’t order if they wanted to.
22. The online order form didn’t work.
23. The online order form did work, but the customer canceled the order when they didn’t get a confirmation email.
24. The order form worked and they got a confirmation email, but they canceled when they realized you were going to tack on an extra $20 for shipping. You should have figured out how to tell them that in the piece; now they think you’re a liar, and they’ll never buy anything from you again.
25. Direct marketing is hard to get right. There are a million details, and the rules - whatever those are - keep changing. There’s also this thing called human nature, some of which changes and some of which doesn’t, that we also have to pay attention to. Technology changes - and sometimes changes everything. Except when it changes nothing.
But - if it were easy - would people like us even be interested in messing with it?
1. Bad list
2. Weak creative/no hook/looks like the the rest and doesn’t attract attention
3. Inappropriate/irrelevant offer
4. Wrong channel
and the lack of relevant connection with the target market as mentioned in other posts. Another big mistake is one-step mailing/e-mailing while most successful DM campaigns are usually measured multi-step programs with follow-ups, and usually supported by othe rmarketing efforts, such as brand advertising.
You had damn well better have your “act together”, or the postage will kill you. We see this with client consulting on prep work or follow up to trade shows. Ownership wants to know “why” they are wasting postage, sending to every “sign-up” at a giveaway booth. NOW you see we we NEVER do giveaways.
As stated elsewhere–>
#1 - It is ALL about the list. Take the time to talk to real customers/prospects, please.
# 2 - the visual when it arrives….[I agree with Shaw above, it's worth the stamp and hand-written envelope to appear personal]
#3 - the action follow thru, is directly tied to the strength of the relationship, the READER feels to your name, the brand or image/memory of you. You had better be reinforcing your positive image, even if they don’t follow thru, because they NEVER will, next time, if you load the mailbox with junk.
Mail will work, but like tools, You must use the right one for the job. Once you know which tool will work, you had better know how to use it. We have an in-house expert/mail-wizard, because there are so many variable.
What chance does the average sales manager have, coming home with a stack of business cards?!?
Thanks, Tibby. Good way to reinforce a lot of the thinking here.
Another good way to give your response rates a boost is to use personal urls. An example of a Personal URL would be: yoursite.com/Jim.Smith and when “Jim” visits his personal url, the website will usually be customized to him. It also allows the marketer to track who is responding.
I found one on the comments curious: A printer that doesn’t understand your business or customers.
It’s not the printer who should understand your business or your customer - you should. To make direct mail, email or any marketing work, you should understand everything about your business or your customers. If you don’t, all the marketing efforts are a waste.
Ask your customers, they will tell you. Comment cards are a great source of information. Use surveys on email or off your website. Ask your front line employees, they talk to your customers. Retain a CRM vendor who specializes in your industry. Create a data warehouse and add to it, often. Learn as much as you can BEFORE you undertake any marketing efforts. Know who you are talking to and what language they speak. Tools are great but they won’t help if the basics aren’t in place.
Hi Marilyn, thanks for the comment. I certainly wasn’t trying to say that a printer knows your customers better than you do. But many small business owners may not know all the intricacies of designing a direct mail piece and could use all the expertise available to them. A printer that’s done pieces within a specific industry may have a tad bit more insight into what works/doesn’t work based on feedback they’ve gotten from other customers. My only point was that small business owners should use every resource around them.