Sierra Powell, Freelancer 

Direct mail is an excellent way to reach your target market, but it can be difficult to create a successful campaign on your own. There are many things to take into account when sending out direct mails, and this blog post will give you some of the most important pointers for success.

Data, Offerings, and Creativity

The customer data available to you, what you're offering, and how you grab customer attention are the three fundamental components of any direct mail campaign's success. If you slack off in any of these areas, your campaign will not be as successful as it could have been. Even worse, you could be wasting your time and money. For instance, the USPS Inspector General has reported $20 billion a year in costs for mailing industries due to sending undeliverable mail. To avoid similar pitfalls, take all the time you need to plan and strategize each of these important aspects of your campaign.

Customer Data

The first step to creating a successful direct mail campaign is having access to good data and using it to create a targeted mailing list.

The most reliable source of data for direct mail campaigns is a list of customers who have purchased from you in the past. This will ensure that your marketing message gets to people already predisposed to buying what you have on offer, so they are more likely to take action and respond positively when receiving it. You should also include potential customers who have shown interest but have not purchased anything yet, such as people who have signed up for newsletters or requested more information about a product or service.

Once you've got your initial list, you can build from it by finding lists of relevant customers who have had no interaction with your business. This could be a list of people who have purchased products similar to what your business offers or a list based on demographics you believe would be attracted to your business.

As your list grows, make sure to keep it clean. Using a USPS address verification API will avoid wasting your resources on misdeliveries due to faulty or outdated information. According to CDYNE, "USPS address verification API is perfect for companies looking to correct, standardize, and validate mailing addresses while decreasing the amount of undeliverable mail they send out."

The Offer and Creativity

Even the best offer will not be good enough if it doesn't appeal to your customer base. You can use data from past purchases or other information about customers to figure out what type of offers would work the best.

With an organized mailing list, consider tailoring your offers based on the recipients. This doesn't necessarily mean changing the actual offer. Rewording the copy to emphasize benefits that specific demographics want will still be beneficial, even if it's not a drastically different offer.

Adding a personalized message will help you stand out from the direct mail clutter. Don't bother using any gimmicks or tricks to grab attention if your offer is not good enough, though. People are more likely to open a letter addressed specifically to them than one with no personalization at all, but they'll also be much less receptive towards something that isn't relevant to them.

Creativity is a big part of any direct mail campaign, and this should be reflected in the copy as well as the design. If you've come up with an offer that seems dull or uninspired but still gets results, don't try to make it exciting through your wording. Instead, focus on making your letters look bold and interesting. You can use images and other visual elements to keep the attention of people who skim their mail.

Final Note

Remember that any marketing message is only as good as its offer, so make sure you've given this aspect enough thought before moving on to anything else. Be creative and come up with a unique angle for your mailing campaign. The more targeted the audience and the better your copy, the greater your chance of success. Keep your data organized and your list clean. Finally, don't forget to make it look good—your letter will be competing with countless others for attention.

With these tips in mind, you'll be on your way to creating a successful direct mail campaign in no time.