Costly Direct Mail Mistakes to Avoid

Did you know that direct mail has a response rate up to 30 times higher than email? That’s right — a good direct mail campaign can massively boost business and help get your brand in front of the right people. However, it’s not as simple as throwing together a quick postcard and hoping for the best. It’s easy to waste a lot of money by making a few simple mistakes when sending direct mail. Here are a few key mistakes to avoid:

Direct Mail Mistake #1: Not mailing to the right audience

If your marketing piece is being delivered to a random selection of people, they are most likely tossing it in the recycling bin. By using a targeted mailing list, you’re ensuring that your mail piece will only be sent to the demographic that may be interested in your services or product.

Direct Mail Mistake #2: The “send it and forget it” approach.

While you may see results from your first mailing, results improve with each additional mailing. Get the most for your money with repeat mailings!

A good rule of thumb, according to the American Marketing Association, is to deliver mail drops every 21 days. This pacing is enough to prevent mail overload while still keeping your prospective and existing customers aware of new promotions and offerings from your business.

Direct Mail Mistake #3: Not using appropriate designs and materials

Nothing turns off a reader faster than a long, solid, block of text. Be sure to separate your text into bite-sized paragraphs that make for easy reading.

With postcards, you’ll want the design to promote your goal. What you include on your card, as well as what is emphasized by placement, size, or color, should vary with what you are trying to achieve. A postcard intended to show your local expertise will obviously be different from one intended to establish goodwill.