Marketing expert advises direct mail testing, research
Lois Geller, author and president of Lois Geller Marketing Group, is often asked to share the secret of successful direct marketing campaigns.
Many businesses say direct mail just doesn't work for them, Geller wrote in an American Express Open Forum article. However, direct marketing is rarely successful without multiple tests - something Geller says new businesses often forget about.
According to the article, businesses can benefit from tracking at mail offers to determine which elicits more responses. After analyzing each response and its origination, marketing leads can then create future mailings using the best techniques honed from the previous test runs.
"It's important to test only one thing at a time, such as a control with a different offer, a control with different lists or a control with a different letter (or creative element)," Geller wrote. "Mail the test and control out simultaneously."
Business should consider using address verification software to guarantee the test mail reaches as many intended recipients as possible. Sending high-quality web-to-print materials may also be useful when testing the creative aspects of a direct mail campaign.