How to Create a Successful Direct Mail Campaign

Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "How to Create a Successful Direct Mail Campaign," puts forth a step-by-step process for creating an effective direct mail marketing campaign.  Before we dive in, we would like to wish all fathers Happy Father's Day and a Happy Juneteenth Holiday weekend, an official federally designated national holiday.  Enjoy your celebrations!  Now on to marketing and direct mail campaign creation.  The odds of enjoying increased response rates and higher ROIs can occur exponentially when executing a well-crafted direct mail marketing campaign.  Keep in mind that direct mail marketing campaigns should run in conjunction with a digital marketing campaign strategy.  The end will result in recipients receiving a valuable, personalized direct mail campaign printed collateral piece.  More often than not, it's an offer that is deemed worthy, if not a desirable, offer.  Conversely, this marks the difference between direct mail and junk mail.  Junk mail typically fails to contain important customer data points that will engage, resonate, and elicit a response. 





Our Quote of the Day: 
"Direct Marketing is evolving every day; in some cases, it seems that we have come full circle. A few years ago, there was the rush to telemarketing, and then came the rush to the Internet. Now marketers are starting to understand that all of these – telephone, mail, internet, e-mail, so-called 'new media' – are simply alternative channels that enable direct contact with a customer."
 – Audrey Price-Dix





While the pandemic now appears to be slowing, new variants such as the Delta Variant have risen in concern. Many medical experts predict that this variant could very shortly escalate to become the dominant strain in the US.  Therefore, all must observe and adhere to federal, state, and local health advisories.  As more countries are facing new lockdowns, there is a possibility that some areas of the US may also have to shut down in the coming weeks or months.  Keep in mind that a good portion of the population is still wary and may not venture out or return to physical working locations any time soon.  With the possibility that additional stay-at-home orders could be on the horizon, reaching customers and constituents by mail is the safest likelihood that all pertinent communications are deliverable, received, and read. 






How to Create a Direct Mail Marketing Campaign




Creating a direct mail marketing campaign may appear on the surface to be a simple process.  However, it is essential when planning any marketing endeavor that the team recognizes the plan's particulars and the overall campaign strategy.  To garner optimal results for your campaign, we recommend the following steps. 

Three main areas comprise the starting point for any direct mail marketing campaign.  They are the target list, the offer, and compelling creative.  These three considerations fall along with demographic markers such as income, age, gender, marital status, zip-code, purchasing habits, language preferences, ethnicity, education, and employment.  Marketers can include any other specific demographic or psychographic data for the demographic data markers.





Identifying the Target Market



The process begins with identifying the correct target market.  If you are unable to locate the people you wish to sell to, you are falling into a rabbit hole.  The following questions should help clarify the direction and enable you to hone into the target market properly.  Would you try and sell the average 18-year-old a new house?  Would you try and sell a car to a person with bad credit?  Would you try and sell a musical instrument to a person who is not a musician?  That said, it's critical to take extra care to ensure that your target market contains the right people, i.e., those who are best qualified and able to purchase, including an emotional need for such products.  As you compile your list, take the time to review the targets on your list.  Also, you should clearly understand the wants, needs, and pain points of your intended targets.  Now let's examine a 5-step process to identify and categorize the best targets correctly.



A. Examine Current Customers


 - Assuming your company has a database of current customers, examine all particulars to determine why they buy your products or services.  Try and identify any similar traits among buyers, particularly current customers, who purchase the most and those that buy the least.  Your list of current customers helps to serve as a baseline target benchmark.  Next, you want to identify additional prospects. These prospects may share similar traits with your existing customers, and some may not.  Make sure you identify those prospects that would also be in the market for your product or service based on your needs criteria.




B.  Benchmark Competitors

 - Most organizations conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis every year.  If so, your competitors should also be a part of that analysis.  If not, this is an excellent time to analyze your competitors.  It is critical to acquire an in-depth knowledge of your competitor's customers and targets, as you may be competing for the same target market.  Should you determine that you are in fact competing in the same market as your competitors, an alternative option would you may entertain is to identify a niche market where competition is more limited or non-existent.


C. Evaluate The Offer

 - In a highly competitive landscape, the buying public values products and services that will solve their problems.  In this step, measure the benefits your product or service provides, what issues or challenges they address, and how those benefits compare to the competition.  Now, make a list of the types of consumers looking for your product or service offerings based on solution-solving capabilities.  Selling is one thing; solving problems raises the bar and commands more interest and engagement. 



D. Target By Demographics



 - At this point, you should identify which demographic(s) need a product or service in conjunction with those most likely to buy.  This step is critical.  Therefore it is a good idea to include traits such as purchase history, age, household income, location, gender, income, education, occupation, travel, marital status, and ethnic background, for starters. Now, refer back to the demographic and psychographic data that you compiled and fine-tune it. Segment these targets into sub-groups. Examples include "most likely to buy;" "shown an interest in similar products;" "most likely in the market to replace a previously purchased or outdated product;" "historical purchase habits indicate the time is hand for a new purchase;" or "unhappy about the last purchase in your product category." Depending on your product set, many other purchasing variables could apply.


E. Consider the Psychographic Factors



 - Psychographics gets to the meat of extensive personal data based on individual character traits.  In a nutshell, psychographics is the key to understanding lifestyle habits.  These unique traits provide the overall lifestyle habits of a consumer, a family, or a household.  These trait identifiers can consist of interests, hobbies, values, attitudes, and overall personality, including gender. 


 We are all most likely aware of Subaru ad campaigns targeting reliability, top safety scores, and how long their vehicles last.  In one spot, Subaru says that parents have a way of imagining the worst -- especially when it comes to their easily distracted teenagers. A montage shows teenagers in wrecked cars appearing unbothered and staring at their phones.  Subaru says parents' worries about distracted drivers can be put to rest knowing their children are driving the Subaru Forester with Driver Focus Alerts.  Conclusion: Subaru's spot appears to target parents' values and attitudinal traits who express concern about their child's safety.

  When determining which psychographic characteristics would fit your product set, specific questions can lead to a correct assessment of your targets. Questions include:


• What types of products do these prospects shop for, and which kind do they purchase?
• What are their life challenges?
• Where do they receive their news and information?
• Which types of websites do they frequent most, and why?
• How many times a year do they travel, and if so, when do they go?
• Identify their most common habits
• When will they use the product or service?
• How are media and marketing communications received, and how do they feel about those platforms?



This set of psychographic questions are the tip of the iceberg to start you in the right direction. Depending on the industry, there may be more questions that you may need to identify.



Target Lists - Step 1



Half of the marketing campaign's success or failure depends on the list.  Your list should comprise targets that need or would find your product or service of interest to them.  There are different types of lists, including emails you gather, purchase, social media, and of course, current and former customers.  Your goal is to create a 'direct response list.'  This list will invariably provide you with better outcomes than a list you compile from unknown sources. 

 Valid lists require precise targeting data points, and the more time is given to creating a targeted list, the better the response will be.  As with all lists, keep in mind that the target list will need to be cleansed and categorized with the demographic attributes, whether internal or purchased.  Cleansing the data is necessary to take advantage of today's technology.  It is an essential process when using variable data printing (aka VDP, or variable digital printing), which contains the technology to print collateral for each targeted demographic. 

For example, if the brand targets Hispanic, Asian, and African-American communities in a single offer, each diverse demographic may have different data variables that appeal to each group.  Variable Data Printing can automatically sort the messages, creative, colors, and call-to-action attributes in a single digital print press action. 



The Offer - Step 2

After the target list is complete, the focus now moves to the offer.  It will help if you refrain from focusing on your brand's product or service.  Instead, focus on the promotional offer.  Sales generally occur when you follow the sales funnel process.   It's the best course to run.  Therefore, avoid focusing on the sale itself and focus on the steps to secure the deal.  It will help if you consider promotional offers that are already generally accepted by consumers.  They include special discounts, freebies, free trials, gifts, time-sensitive offers, and of course, BOGO (buy one get one).  Make sure the call-to-action is easily understood and well-placed on the brand print collateral.  You should also provide a QR code for mobile users to locate the digital destination quickly, whether it's a blog page, website, specific landing page, or even a social media destination.



Step 3 - Compelling Creative



As in society, looks and appearance are everything.  Remember when folks held their nose at the first hybrid vehicles due to their lackluster presence?  It should come as no surprise that Tesla's Elon Musk took what people were saying to heart about hybrid and electric vehicles.  Tesla is an attractive car by most standards.  Your direct mail piece should also be compellingly creative.  Direct mail pieces that are attractive will increase the probability of a better response rate. 

To attract attention, the creative needs to consider colors, copy, texture, size, and if using envelopes, the text on the outside of the envelope must be attention-grabbing.  The creative should also reflect that various ethnic groups prefer specific colors, designs, and language statements within that particular group. Whether the recipients receive a postcard, flyer, brochure, or envelope, the piece will need a concise, easy-to-see call-to-action.  If the recipients find it challenging to respond or no response directive, the creative could be for naught.  Keep in mind that the creative can contain multiple versions for each demographic included in the data points target list.





The Net-Net



How to create impactful direct mail marketing campaigns is more of a science than art.  Only after a brand has taken at least these steps can the brand be sure that it can create compelling marketing messages that appeal to targets most likely that will convert into purchasers.  When this process EDIT happens, the brand can expect to reap new business and increase sales.  We hope you found value in this article, and thanks for reading "How to Create a Successful Direct Mail Campaign!"

Let's have a conversation about integrated business solutions and how they can help grow your business, change behavior, and improve the customer experience. 

Let us show you how to improve your document processes to optimize your workflow, reduce your costs, and maximize your organization's printing, letter shop, and mailing capabilities. 

Dove Direct has an official USPS certified bureau located within our offices to save you time and money.  We can even create a demo file for you.  For more information, call Carla Eubanks at 404-629-0122 or email Carla at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Dove Direct, your Atlanta based print and mail solutions provider, offers organizations end-to-end data, printing, and mailing solutions:


• Data Management
• Variable Digital/Data Printing
• LetterShop and Fulfillment
• Digital Mail Scanning Services
• Fully Automated MLOCR Presort Bureau
• Marketing and Production Management Support
• Secure Data Life Cycle Management




If you don't want to wait, you can reach Dove Direct today by calling 404-629-0122 or use the Contact Form for Dove Direct.