Direct mail: Capitalizing on the unique medium
There are advantages to any mail medium. Some are quick, some are cheap, but with direct mail, the most unique benefit is its tangibility.
Unlike other advertising methods, direct mail provides customers with a piece of promotional material they can physically hold and investigate in their hands. It may seem a little traditional, but the tangible advertisements provide marketers a certain creative license that may spark interest and even encourage future purchases. It all depends on how the medium is handled.
Get noticed
A folly many businesses are guilty of is being too typical in their mailings. White envelope, black text and simple packaging make up the description of the average parcel. Be unique. Odd sized packages, unexpected colors or any other eye-catching attributes are likely to catch the eyes of potential customers receiving the promotion. Additionally, consider the texture and the smell of marketing materials, as well. Sending physical mail gives advertisers access to a person's entire sensorial arsenal.
Add dimensions
Perhaps residual from finding plastic toys at the bottoms of cereal boxes, customers like opening mail that carries a three-dimensional object. What the object may be is the decision of the mailer, but simply adding something will provide recipients with an additional incentive to further explore the package.
Tease contents
It's a creative hindrance to think postal correspondences can only begin delivering a message after they're open. The outside of a package is valuable real estate. Businesses can use external messaging to intrigue prospective customers who may have otherwise ignored what they see as just another advertisement.
Brand mail
Putting together a quality piece of direct mail, while not the most traditional form of art, demands a certain amount of artistic insight. The content and the design are strategically developed to convey a pointed message while simultaneously appealing to readers. It's hard work to construct an effective campaign, and companies deserve recognition for their efforts. Brandishing a piece of direct mail with a business's logo is an effective way to establish the link between a quality piece of direct mail, one that catches a person's eye and attention, and the company that produced it.
Once an advertiser has determined the format of a specific direct mail piece, decided the message and written the content, sending the package is the last step in connecting with potential customers. Mailing software can assist companies in streamlining postal operations to ensure all parcels arrive where they need to go, when they need to be there.