How to Use Direct Mail to Support Your Event

Although it may seem “old school” to send out mail in the digital world, it could be the missing piece that’s preventing your event from retaining the highest attendance possible. 

To clarify, we aren’t saying go without digital intervention altogether. In order to develop the best marketing strategy for your next event, don’t underestimate the impact that direct mail advertising can have on engagement.

Everything from brochures to postcards and even personalised letters has the power to help you build stronger relationships with existing customers, or initiate that first introduction to potential new ones.

Before missing out on a resource that could make or break your event, consider the different ways that direct mail advertising can provide support. You might be surprised by the results.

Why use direct mail in the first place?

1. Direct mail provides a physical reminder

Whenever choosing direct mail to advertise your event, there’s one important thing to keep in mind: people are forgetful. Even with the convenience of pocket calendars, everyone is busy and sometimes things outside of the normal routine are missed. Thus, having something physical to keep at your desk, home office, or even the fridge is ideal for retaining event attendees.

Sending direct mail invites for your event ensures the recipients have a physical reminder of the date and location, as well RSVP information. On the off chance they aren’t able to attend themselves, they can also easily pass along the direct mailer to someone else who may be interested in attending. These types of invites offer a versatile way to grab people’s attention, remind them of the key details, and encourage attendance at your event.

2. Direct mail offers a more personalized approach

Living in the height of the digital age means things have gotten significantly more automated, leaving consumers feeling disconnected from certain businesses and events. Sending out a personalized direct mailer not only helps promote your event, but will also improve the guest experience. 

Due to the additional planning and design process that goes into creating direct mail products, recipients end up feeling more connected to information than they would if the invite arrived through an email or social post.

Using direct mail to advertise your event is a great way to engage with the people on your guest list ahead of time, setting the tone for what they can expect while simultaneously reinforcing how much you value their contribution and presence.

3. Direct mail leaves an impression

Ads are everywhere. Whether you’re walking outside, reading the news, or scrolling through social media, advertisements surround every aspect of day-to-day life. This overabundance of promotional stimuli can be overwhelming for consumers, and result in less information being properly digested.

However, considering the limited amount of physical mail people receive every day, there’s a higher likelihood that your invitation will be read in-full and remembered down the line. 

Direct mail has become a refreshing alternative to promotional advertising, and many consumers often prefer it over the swarm of digital information they are exposed to regularly. Using direct mailers to support your event ensures you make a strong first impression with the guest list by grabbing their attention right away.

4. Direct mail always looks how you expect

When choosing the design for any promotional product, you must first always consider how it will appear to the recipient. This includes colour scheme, layout, text choice, font style, etc. However, with digital platforms, you need to account for the different software capabilities and formatting issues that may occur.

We’ve all received an email at some point where the text layout did not match the company’s typical branding. When this happens, it can be perceived as unprofessional, resulting in your message being deleted or ignored by the recipient. 

Direct mail invitations, however, come with the guarantee that what you see will be what the guests receive. Having consistency across all aspects of your marketing strategy ensures the information is clear, recognizable, and effectively received by the guest list. Thankfully, with direct mail, the only compatibility issues you need to worry about is the guests’ schedule with your event date.

How to Use Direct Mail to Support an Event

1. Event promotions

Once you have decided on the design, style, and type of direct mail you plan to send out, the next step is building an RSVP list. Keeping guests informed about the event will help result in the best attendance possible.

Some additional direct mail options to consider are:

• Early bird ticket discounts: Sending out simple, cost-effective direct mail pieces, such as postcards, or advertising a “book before” discount offer, can be an effective way to grab attention early on.
• Marketing through other guests: Consider creating direct mailers that other high-profile guests can send to their own customer base, letting them know about the event and how to register. This is a great way to not only increase attendance, but also foster existing relationships with other businesses and/or customers.
• Event details: Depending on how much information you want each recipient to have prior to the event, direct mailers outlining anything from parking instructions to itinerary plans to schedule highlights can be sent out ahead of time as a means of encouraging guest attendance.

2. Guest promotions

After a complete RSVP list has been established, you can move on to using direct mail to promote not only the event activities themselves, but other related services as well. Use this as an opportunity to engage guests with your business as a whole and create long-term relationships. 

Consider using direct mail options such as:

• Postcards with key event stats to show why your event is a must-attend.
• Pre-show newsletters highlighting the key details of the event.
• Show/conference schedules detailing what’s on and when.
• Promotional materials outlining the different services your business offers during and after the event.

3. Event build-up

Finally, in the weeks leading up to the actual event, you can use direct mail to connect with guests who have already registered or follow up with those who still need to RSVP. Whether you plan on printing show guides, registration instructions, or a final round of “don’t miss out” reminders, direct mail ensures guests feel a gradual build-up to the event itself, which helps improve attendance and builds a deeper connection ahead of time.

Where to Get Started

At Troi Mailing Services, we offer expertise in postal regulations, document personalization, lettershop processes, and distribution. As a result, we recognize that direct mail advertising is the best way to connect directly with potential customers—both in the short and long term. A direct mail piece becomes more personal than a handout, more credible than a social media ad, more visually appealing than an email, and more comfortable than a phone call. 

To learn more about how our direct mail services in Toronto and the GTA can help improve your business, call us at 1-866-486-9350.