Direct mail can be an effective tool for promoting your business, services or offers to customers and prospects. Done well, it’s interactive, engaging and likely to generate a profitable response but there are some key things to consider at the planning stage.

By working through the following steps, you can give yourself the best chance of delivering a direct mail campaign that will leave your contacts smiling and generate a buzz about your business.

1. Establish A Clear Message

Before you dive into promotional product brochures or start your internet searches, be sure you’ve nailed your first step – identifying a clear message.

Be it a specific offer, new product launch or introducing a new feature, the more confident and clear you are about your messaging (and the benefit/s for your customers), the easier it will be to identify suitable items or themes for your mailing.

2. Be Useful

The sky’s the limit in terms of what you can send out but think about what the person receiving the product will do with it.

The more useful it is, the more likely it is to stay on a desk, be put on a wall or shared among colleagues. So not only will you make a great first impression, you’ll enjoy longer-term exposure too.

3. Be Original

As stated above, your piece should be useful but this should be balanced with originality if you want to really stand out from the crowd.

Original ideas aren’t easy to generate (that’s where B2B marketing specialists like us come in!) but they prove a level of sophistication that your competitors might be lacking.

Don’t just stick your logo on the first product you see. Spend your money wisely and design your package carefully.

4. Allocate Enough Budget

And while we’re talking money, don’t forget to factor in all of your potential expenses.

Effective direct mail doesn’t need to break the bank but there are a number of costs to consider including:

• Product
• Promotional material
• Packaging
• Collation
• Postage

5. Think Through Logistics

If your campaign includes multiple items from multiple sources, you might want to consider working with a fulfilment house to collate everything and send it out for you.

This decision will essentially come down to how complex your package is, how much in-house resource you have and how much you can spend.

Do you have space to store all of the items? Do you have the people to package everything up? Can you print off all of the letters you need? What about stamps or franking all of the items?

6. Collate The Right Data

You might have designed the best direct mail piece ever but it’s useless if you don’t have anyone to send it to.

Remember, you want to send the package to people who will be happy to hear from you, interested in what you have to offer and likely to engage with you in return.

At the very least you’ll need a spreadsheet with the following information:

• Contact Name (ideally split by first and last name)
• Company Name
• Job Title
• Address (ideally split line by line)

You might also want to split your data by existing clients and prospects – as there may be different versions of letters or leaflets which are relevant to each group.

7. Other Activity

Your direct mail campaign shouldn’t end once your package is on its way. Like all effective B2B marketing, a joined-up approach can amplify the success of your communications.

How about sending out an email campaign that arrives on the same day as your posted items – replicating the same design and highlighting the same messages?

Why not get on the telephone and follow-up with the most important contacts shortly after the package lands?

You could incorporate some social activity too – sharing any positive responses that emerge as customers and prospects receive their direct mail.

In summary:

Direct mail is a fantastic way to engage with your audience.

As the name suggests, it’s personal direct communication and you can control the entirety of the message.

Just take the time to ensure your recipients end up boasting about it – rather than binning it.