[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]In this blog we look at just three great reasons why businesses need Direct Mail.

A recent article suggested many reasons why Direct Mail has been good for businesses over many years. Techniques and technologies may change but the value of direct mail remains unchanged. In this blog we look at just three reasons why businesses benefit from Direct Mal:

1. Personalisation
Direct Mail is unique in its ability to speak directly to the target audience as a person – not just a number. Other forms of marketing have their benefits but particularly for newer or smaller companies, that the ‘human touch’ can make all the difference. In a recent survey, the largest UK charities (those raising over £10m annually) all used Direct Mail as part of their fundraising activities. The reason is simple – Direct Mail allowed them to make a one-to-one emotional connection between the cause and the potential donor. And creating this emotional connection is essential for any business that needs to distinguish itself from the competition – and that means every business.

You can read more about creating an effective mailshot on our recent blog.

2. Measurability
At one time it was believed that it was only digital marketing that was properly measurable, but in fact the technology that enabled this truism has now been utilised for direct mail campaigns. There are many ways in which DM can track responses. One of the most common and most effective is the Personalised Unique Resource Locator (Personal URL or PURL).

A PURL is a personalised URL, a landing page unique to each and every customer and created specifically for the purposes of your marketing campaign, either via direct mail or other channel, such as email.
The benefits are that you can receive feedback and responses in real time, and can set up email alerts which enable you to get in touch with potential customers straight away. A PURL also allows you to collect more details information, a facility which not only allows you to build an immediate and more meaningful connection with the customer now, but will enable you to target future campaigns even more accurately.

Other methods to track response include dedicated telephone lines and reader response mechanisms such as vouchers, response cards etc.

3. Cost-effectiveness
Perhaps more than any other, smaller and newer businesses need to account closely for all spend – there simply is not the cash to try untested marketing ideas. A direct mail marketing campaign is not only cost effective but businesses can use estimates of response rates to set an affordable budget that will determine an effective ROI. Design can be done inhouse or outsourced to an experienced third party who can use their expertise to deliver a higher response rate and therefore increase ROI even further. Postage costs remain high but bulk postage specialists will help ensure you are getting the best possible price.

Three great reasons why Direct Mail can make a difference to your organisation.

Image Credit: Howard Lake[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]