The article “Direct Mail: Still a Bargain for Marketers” discusses ways in which companies can use direct mail advertising effectively (Johnson, 2013). The author argues that, because of the low cost of direct mail (postage) rates and packages through USPS, direct marketing is a viable advertising channel that can help attract consumers and boost return-on-investment (ROI). A list of four essential points for direct advertising, ranked in order of importance, is provided in the article: 1) Lists and data, 2) Offers/messaging, 3) Creative and copy, and 4) Timing. According to the author, the first two points are responsible for 70-80% of direct advertising’s success. Effective direct advertising relies on marketers understanding target segments and varying offers and messages accordingly. Effective direct marketing also requires significant testing of different messages and offers with different target groups.
Other important points from the article consider the creation of marketing copy and the timing of direct marketing campaigns. According to the author, creative copy is more important that format/layout and different copy should be tried before different layouts in testing new direct mail campaigns. Timing and seasonality are also very important, and marketers need to be aware of how often target demographics are marketed to and what seasons marketing is performed in. For example, consumers are unlikely to respond well to ads for snow shovels distributed in the summer, or to the same ads being mailed repeatedly. The article’s conclusion is that targeted direct marketing campaigns can help support social media and online marketing, providing added value to promotions and help seal the deal with consumers. Overall, this article provides a good review of important considerations for effective direct marketing campaigns.
Source:
Johnson, G. (Feb. 27, 2013). Direct mail: Still a bargain for marketers. Chief Marketer, Direct Marketing. Retrieved from
http://chiefmarketer.com/direct-marketing/direct-mail-still-bargain-marketers