5 Considerations for Adding Direct Mail to Your Product Mix

Direct mail is alive and well, attracting customers with that personal touch and physical product — something you simply can’t replicate through the screen. Brand Chain members Mark Weinfurter of N.E.W Printing and Steve Samis of Applied Business Systems Inc. (ABS) share their five considerations for adding direct mail in your product mix.

1. Direct mail gives you the opportunity to collaborate and engage with clients.

By using a collaborative approach to understand the needs of your clients, your company can be viewed as a partner, not just a vendor, Samis shares:

“For direct mail, we ask what they want to accomplish, how we can incorporate their artwork into the piece and how we can achieve a ‘call to action’ to the recipient, and ensure the offer is really going to stand out to elicit a response.”

2. It separates itself from the clutter of digital marketing.

The average consumer can easily be overwhelmed with an excess of digital ads and online marketing content. With print, you can provide a distinct product that really attracts attention, Weinfurter shares:

“You may receive a hundred emails a day, but you only get a few pieces in your mailbox. Emails can be disposed of with just a click, but a well-designed, maybe oversized mail piece is very likely to get reviewed.”

Above: ABS implements a variety of fonts and colors in their postcards to capture attention.

3. Direct mail can create ongoing engagement.

Direct mail can work hand-in-hand with digital marketing to entice customers to act, driving more connection through physical and online spaces:

“Look at all the big players out there and follow their lead. Look at who’s mailing to you. Amazon mailed a holiday catalog last year that tied back to their online stores. Brilliant! Make it personal and tie it into other aspects of your marketing campaign.” (Weinfurter)

“Being able to use both [direct mail and digital] communication methods in tandem provides additional touch points to the recipient. This allows for a better opportunity for the recipient to act, whether that is making a call, stopping into a new business or clicking on a website for more information.” (Samis)

4. It lends itself to more creativity.

As direct mail is tangible and physical, there are numerous opportunities to draw customers in with distinctive, eye-catching designs:

“Unique sizes and shapes are always attention getters. Great design on the envelope or mail price is always memorable. People like attention, and anything you can do to personalize a mail piece and give people extra attention is always appreciated. Soft touch coatings are a unique tactile experience too.” (Weinfurter)

“Creating a dynamic piece with color, personalization and that compelling call to action, along with a great offer, is what will allow a potential new customer to take notice.” (Samis)

5. Tangible products can help fuel client success in ways they may not have otherwise considered.

Samis shares ABS’s experience helping a client use direct mail to gain new leads for their national sales team:

“We added more variable data, as well as pictures of the reps for their campaigns, and the feedback has been excellent. Customers agreed it was nice to have a picture along with the company information and products to ‘break the ice’ prior to meetings. This isn’t a new concept, but for our clients, it was a departure from the bland cover letter and sell sheets used in the past.”

Above: Steve Samis, vice president of production at ABS (left) and Angel Lopez, print department manager (right), review a printed piece to ensure accuracy.

By Rachel Schollmeier