No matter your business objectives, Direct Mail should be a vital part of your marketing mix. From lead generation, to web traffic driving, to vital customer communications, there’s no denying the power of Direct Mail.

In part two of our two-part series, we conclude our simple, step-by-step guide to get you started on your DM journey.

Mail Prep

  • Prior to mailing, you need to find a service bureau to process your data – clean it, format it, code it, and split it (if necessary). It’s the service bureau’s job to ensure the data is correctly prepared for your lettershop.
  • With your data processed, you need a lettershop that will print and post to your specifications, using your preferred postal service.

Capitalization of Back-end

  • Getting your offer into the mail is not the end. You also need to determine how to deal with responses.
  • Do you have a data entry/order processing system set up?
  • Do you have a Customer Service department to handle issues?
  • Do you plan to market your customer database to other mailers? If so,
    • Have you arranged for a List Manager to handle the marketing of your customer file?
    • Do you have a service bureau to handle your List Fulfillment?
    • Have to decided what portion of your database you want to make available for rental?

Results Analysis

  • The advantage of direct mail marketing is that responses are measurable and easily linked back to your marketing effort (i.e., your mailing).
  • To properly analyze your results, you need to set both qualitative and quantitative objectives for your campaign:
    • You need to determine the acceptable cost of acquiring a new customer. Does your test mailing need to generate enough revenue to cover its costs, or will you accept a net revenue loss to acquire new customers?
    • What defines the success of your test mailing, and how will you measure it? Is success based on a certain response rate? Is it based on a minimum revenue?
  • You need to develop your post-analysis strategy:
    • Measure your results against your objectives.
    • Determine your ROI (Return On Investment).
    • Identify key items you learned from your test mailing.
    • Identify opportunities to make future mailings more efficient/cost effective.

Do It Again

  • Now that you have the experience and knowledge, you are ready to go again. Use your to refine your campaign, and you will do even better the next time.

Direct Mail done right is easier than you imagined. Talk to experts to learn how simple, cost effective, and valuable Direct Mail can be! JR Direct has been helping our clients with local, national and international Direct Mail campaigns for over 25 years. For more information, contact us here.