Latest News

Direct mail most effective in generating B2B leads

"outbound advertising including direct mail responsible for 40% of new B2B leads..."

Of all the mediums and techniques available to marketers, MarketingProfs found that outbound advertising, including direct mail, was responsible for generating nearly 40 percent of new B2B leads, 22 percent more than online efforts. As a result, the next 12 months are likely to see B2B organizations investing more in direct mail in an attempt to continue driving lead generation. The success of those campaigns will hinge heavily on how well marketers design their direct mail pieces. 

Avoid the 'junk mail' pile
In order to not be discarded as "junk mail," marketers should aim for decision-makers. That means addressing materials to a specific person, not just a generic job title. Businesses may also try making it look as much like a personal correspondence as possible. By using standard size envelopes and a regular postage stamp in place of a bulk rate, advertisers can craft the illusion that a person is actively waiting for that particular parcel to arrive. It adds legitimacy to the piece and helps to ensure that the right people are reading it.  However, how can you be sure you found the intended person at the correct address? Often a missing piece of the process, is making sure companies have the right data through address verification. 

Add a call to action, or at least how to contact you
A common folly of businesses trying to get into direct mail is forgetting to provide information on how to contact them. Business leaders don't often have time to search for specific contact information, so if they open a package and there are no detailed instructions, it's safe to assume it's going in the trash.  It doesn't take a lot of work and it won't drive the price of materials up. If a businesses is serious about the effectiveness of their direct mail, they need to include a phone number, an email or even a URL.

Generating new leads for B2B organizations through direct mail has been proven effective and companies will continue to invest more in the medium moving into 2014. But for all the time and money spent working toward crafting the perfect mail piece, if it doesn't go to the correct address, it's virtually worthless. Through address verification toolkit systems, B2B marketers - and B2C for that matter - can ensure the integrity of all addresses as soon as they're entered and avoid the hassle of returned and wasted mail.