Why pre-testing, address verification benefit direct mail marketers
With any enterprise, taking the necessary precautions can help a business avoid future obstacles - or at least make them more scalable. In the direct mail industry, the benefits of pre-testing and address verification are especially important considering the costs of an ineffective or poorly developed marketing campaign. Running tests to judge the potential success of a marketing strategy is not limited to direct mail. In fact, social media can serve as a point of reference.
A recent Entrepreneur interview with Joanna Lord, chief marketing officer at Seattle-based BigDoor; Eric Siu, chief operations officer of Single Grain; and Brian Honigman, a Brooklyn, N.Y.,-based freelance writer, content marketer and social-media consultant, explained many of the benefits of experimenting with message delivery. With the number of social media networks available to companies, understanding which platform will prove the most fruitful is a primary concern. As a result, businesses should repeatedly experiment across different networks and timeframes until they begin seeing desired results. While it may require extra time and resources, successfully identifying which marketing message and method for delivery is most successful is worth the effort. When transitioning to direct mail marketing, companies follow a similar testing philosophy.
Pre-testing is relatively rare in the industry
Ruth Stevens, president of marketing consultancy eMarketing Strategy, told BtoB Magazine she was surprised to find more companies are not pre-testing before engaging in a full-fledged campaign.
Keep size in mind
However, one important factor to keep in mind is how extensive the direct mail marketing campaign will be. If the mailing is meant for 1,000 or fewer people, the benefits of pre-testing a smaller sample may be too costly for an organization, according to BtoB. As a result, the first step in the process is tallying the total number of prospects a business is trying to reach.
Utilize different approaches
Stevens told the source reaching out first by telephone or email can test whether the message is hitting the mark. Moreover, interviewing individuals can provide specific insight into the quality of the direct mailer. Finally, online surveys are an inexpensive way to get feedback before a company implements its marketing campaign.
Ultimately, the purpose of pre-testing is to save the marketing team and overall business from incurring unnecessary expenses. In addition to testing marketing mailers, companies should also utilize address validation software to ensure their mailings reach the appropriate customers. This step can save a company from damaging relationships with existing business partners and potential new ones.