The world is getting smaller thanks to the universal accessibility of the internet and globalisation. This has resulted in a change in the marketing landscape – barriers that have previously inhibited small-to-medium size enterprises from expanding their operations and marketing endeavours are no longer there. This has led to an abundance of new opportunities that your business can take advantage of.
Firstly, it is important to understand what businesses should aim to achieve when starting direct marketing. International direct mail campaigns help firms pursue three main objectives: the creation and management of customer relations, the sale of goods and services, and the combination of branding and brand leadership – the same objectives as domestic direct mail, but on an international scale.
Your customers will very much appreciate receiving direct mail. It’s a trustworthy and convenient form of marketing that will give the recipients bespoke and exclusive offers as well as lower prices.
International direct mail is generally implemented through a set of procedures that follow these decision criteria:
- The implementation of international direct mail is designed to develop new foreign markets.
- The company should have a settled, established base in the home market, and have the necessary additional resources to expand into new markets.
- The company should use direct mail marketing specialists to fulfil the actions
- Entry into new market(s) will be met with local competition, so the business should be made aware of this.
- Nevertheless, international direct marketing will offer prospects with many advantages in its implementation compared to the alternative market entry strategies.
- The benefits of international direct mail marketing are the ease and swiftness of execution, at a low cost, and its manageable risk exposure.
By following and matching the criteria above, you greatly increase the likelihood of success when beginning international direct mail campaigns.
Additional factors to consider when sending mail internationally are:
1. Different mail options to use – there are a variety of mail types to use in your campaigns, including:
- Letters
- Postcards
- Catalogues
- Brochures
- Leaflets
- Prospectuses
Each option has a particular use, depending on the way you wish to impact the recipient, so it is important to think about the result and what you want to achieve before selecting the mail option.
2. Varying country laws – different countries have differing views on direct mail and direct marketing, so it is important to understand the difference between the two, as well as gather information about each market and their legislation about data protection. Direct mail is the physical correspondence between business and customer, whereas direct marketing is the form of communicating between a business and preselected customers through any medium. For example, a country may have laws forbidding email marketing due to data protection, whereas direct mail is legal. Nonetheless, it is still important to check whether sending direct mail to customers is legitimate.
3. World zones – the world is split into four ‘World Zones’ by the Royal Mail, with different delivery costs and timings depending on the zone.
4. The number of items, weight, and size – the number of items sent, their weight, and their size will affect delivery times and costs of your direct mail campaigns. Please contact us on 0800 612 1972 for a more specific, tailored quote.
If you are interested in international direct mail, it is imperative that you utilise the expertise of a direct mail specialist. Get in contact with bakergoodchild today for any help regarding international direct mail or any other queries.
