Setting up direct mail campaigns has many moving parts, and if you are new or unfamiliar with the best practices of getting started, your campaign might hit a few snags. Here are a few common problems direct mail campaigns run into:

1. Not Identifying An Audience

Using a direct mail marketing campaign is a great way to attract new customers and bring back returning clients. It’s how businesses stay in business! Pitching services to new customers from all backgrounds and demographics is sure to turn up some new leads, but it’s not efficient.

Trying to market to everyone costs more money, results in a muddy message, and tries to do too much at once. Without a clear audience in mind, you can’t hone your message to specifically target that group. Specific audience targeting is key to a successful campaign.

2. Impersonal and Indirect Marketing

This goes along with identifying a target audience. When you narrow your focus, you should also make sure you’re getting each mailer right. If a customer gets mail from a business, but it’s addressed to a former resident or just lists “Resident” on the envelope, that customer isn’t likely to feel as valued. Check your mailing lists to ensure their accuracy.

3. Not Having A Clear Or Engaging Offer

When you mail out to your audience, you need to do so with a purpose. Let them know about a major sale going on. Offer a great deal to anyone who brings the mailer to your business. Customers should know the exact reason they are getting contact from your business, and that reason should be enough to get them in.

A simple reminder that your business is still located in the same place is not a good enough draw. Have you recently remodeled the storefront? Are you clearing out old inventory to make way for new product? Before you mail out, ask yourself “Why?” This will keep your mailers striking with a purpose.

4. Not Post-Campaign Analysis

After each campaign, you need to look at how successful it was. How many mailer coupons were brought in? Did people take advantage of your excellent offer? Even if the campaign was less than successful, turn it into a learning experience. Figuring out what can be done to improve your mailers for the future is key. If the campaign was a smash hit, what made that happen? Can you capitalize on that again, or go for a similar idea?

5. Not Vetting Your Mailing List Source

When you set out to rent or purchase a mailing list, you need to make sure you’re getting accurate, up to date information. Some services never update their data sets, so your mailers could be getting targeted at people who have moved away. If using a direct mail service, check them out to make sure they are well known and have a good reputation.

The easiest way to avoid all of these potential snags in your campaign is to work with experienced professionals. The better the service, the better your campaign will do. If you’re looking for a complete direct mail service to improve the return on investment for your marketing campaigns, RTC is home to the leading experts in the field. Contact us today to see how we can work together to get the results you want!