Supercharge your inbound marketing
In 2016, print is enjoying a remarkable resurgence. Why? Because marketers are discovering that in today’s overwhelmingly Digital Age, well-designed print pieces have the power to cut through the clutter, command attention and drive people to the web. The combination of print and digital can be the one-two punch that supercharges your marketing.
Although some people may consider print as “old fashioned,” direct mail is tangible, personal, and — in comparison to digital marketing — provides a lot of room for creativity. It makes your entire product/service premise “tangible.”
But a successful marketing strategy does not rely solely on direct mail OR digital marketing: For your company to obtain strong sales leads — and nurture your existing clients — you need a strategy that integrates print and digital.
7 tips to supercharge your marketing:
1. Create a STANDOUT direct mail piece. The best thing about print is that it is tangible. You can create interactive pieces, include flashy designs and textures, personalization and even scents — the creative possibilities are endless! Just make sure that your online and offline elements provide a consistent experience. Make sure there’s excellent communication between the team members and agencies who handle all of these pieces, to help ensure a consistent presentation of your brand and a cohesive customer experience.
2. Create strong content. Even though print is a different medium than digital, your copy must still be concise and must address customer needs in a compelling way. Just like email, you only have a few seconds to catch the attention of your reader. Make sure every word counts and don’t forget that “less is more.”
3. Incorporate a single call to action. What’s the point of your print campaign? Your main goals should be to get your audience to engage in your organization and to then go to the places you direct them: “Call us today to receive our New Year’s special, for a limited time only!” or “Download our new white paper,” for example. By incorporating specific calls to action on your direct mail pieces, you can direct potential clients to your website landing pages, where they can enter their information on forms and can become qualified sales leads.
4. Create landing pages and use vanity URLs. Your direct mail’s call to action should never direct recipients to visit the home page of your website. Instead of sending users to your website’s home page, create and drive users to a specific landing page that supports the offer in your direct mailer. Create a vanity URL like www.showmethewaynow.com that drives users to your specific landing page
5. Clean up your lists. Make sure to “cleanse” your postal mailing lists on a regular basis to remove duplicates, bad addresses and outdated information. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting money. There’s nothing worse than staring at a big stack of undeliverable direct mailers and realizing how much postage you wasted!
6. Measure your success. Analysis for print campaigns is just as important as it is for digital efforts. Prior to any integrated campaigns, gather your team and discuss your strategy for measuring your success.
7. Remember this is a process. Using direct mail and print is not necessarily an end unto itself. Rather, it’s a tool, a tactic to reach, inform and persuade your current and potential clients. Use the data your integrated campaign generates to tweak your copy, creative and calls to action to maximize their impact.