5 Recent Direct Mail Marketing Trends to Make the Most of

While 2020 has certainly thrown us several curveballs, it has also provided us with new opportunities to engage with our customers, prospects and employees. Hopefully, 2021 will bring with it some stable foundations on which we can build while we get used to our “new normal.”

This year, companies will continue to use both offline and online solutions to create human connections. As the market continues to reopen and money is received and spent in a rebounding economy, the competition will increase, and there will be a new demand for creative and aggressive marketing practices. Companies and marketers alike will miss these opportunities for growth if they’re not paying attention.

So, are you wondering how you can improve your direct mail advertising results during these uncertain times? ‘Cause if not, you should be!

In the following article, we will highlight some critical direct mail marketing trends that you should be following to keep your marketing materials on-trend. Keep your business on track with these direct mail marketing trends to follow for 2021.

1. Improved Targeting

Direct mail marketing still remains one of the best ways for us to track marketing data. With the ability to segment audiences, we can market to them a lot more effectively by using A/B testing, lists, response codes and demographics.

These data sources are more sophisticated and provide us with more information than ever before. Real-time marketing analytics are on the rise. Marketers can see how their campaigns perform in real-time and adjust their targeting and messaging to optimize performance.

With targeting, your message needs to be specific to the exact individual receiving your marketing materials. The more specific you can get with identifying demographics, the more efficient your marketing will be.

2. Leveraging Both Digital and Direct Marketing Efforts

This big shift towards increased digital consumerism is predicted to continue long after the pandemic is over. This means that you should be focusing your efforts on refining your online customer experience as much as possible and the offline campaigns that push consumers towards your online presence.

This is especially important for your brand’s overall health in 2021. Both digital and direct marketing should be working in tandem to drive meaningful engagement with your audience. In 2020, the use of both QR codes and augmented reality (AR) consumer engagement skyrocketed.

Both of these tools can be used to lead your direct mail recipients to your digital marketing campaigns. A QR code will allow your audience to research, review or convert right from their smartphones. They can also be used to lead direct mail recipients to videos, personalized landing pages and promotions, and much more.

On the other hand, AR elements added to your direct mail advertising materials can create a 3D environment for your products, allowing your audience to interact with your brand or product in real-time.

Both of these digital experiences can be brought through direct mail marketing campaigns and the experience can increase consumer brand trust and purchase confidence, which will help increase your conversion rate and campaign success.

3. Create Sensory Experiences

Digital media could never replace direct mail solely because direct mail can offer a much more sensory experience. Direct mail can stimulate neurological responses that appeal to human emotions and can directly influence their purchasing choices.

You can trigger all five senses by using different design elements. You should be thinking about how you can encourage more prolonged interactions with your direct mail pieces, for example, including exciting design elements like soft touch, metallic inks and other textures to your mailers. You can also add some interactive features like die-cuts, peel and reveals or magnets.

When you add in new elements, it’s always a great idea to do some split testing against your traditional mailers to determine which elements resonate the most with your targeted audience.

4. Take Personalization to New Levels

Personalization has always been an important factor in direct mail strategies, but it is now more important than ever because consumers interact and respond at a much higher rate than usual, thanks to stay-at-home orders.

Personalization is about more than just your customer’s first and last name. You should be tailoring the experience for different segments of your audience and those at different parts of your marketing funnel.

When planning your marketing efforts, use as much data at your disposal as you can. Empathy is also another crucial factor in communicating your message. By understanding how your clients and customers feel and building connections with them, your message can land better and inspire them to take the actions you are looking for.

5. Always Test New Unique Mail Formats

With more businesses turning to direct mail marketing to create unique and eye-catching experiences for their audience, you’ll need to try to stay ahead of the curve with constant innovation. By keeping your mailer’s format different from the rest, your business will stand out and come to mind when it counts. Test new formats and offers that help entice your customers and get their attention. Try and send them something that they have never seen from you before.

It’s also very likely that your audience looks different from the one that you had last year. Your audience is constantly changing, and therefore so should your direct mail marketing strategy. Use these new buyer insights to enhance your strategy and test them against your original lists to maximize your response rate.

Take what you are learning about your consumer purchasing and behaviour preferences during the pandemic to produce a creative package and offer that will resonate but, more importantly, one that will convert!

By leveraging your digital enhancements, improving sensory experiences, connecting online and offline personas, and practising the basics, you will be taking the proper steps to ensure that your businesses’ direct mail program is set up for success in 2021.

Contact Troil Mailing Services

To learn more about how your company can leverage direct mail marketing, or if you are looking for a printing and mailing service company in Ontario, call Troi Mailing Services at 1-866-486-9350 or contact us here.