Direct Mail Advertising

Direct mail advertising is also referred to as direct advertising or marketing as the customer is directly sent the advertising or marketing message, rather than depending on indirect mediums such as radio, newspaper or television which may or may not be seen or heard by the customer. Every customer likes to be addressed personally and direct mail advertising does this.

But whether a customer will end up throwing a direct mail letter or brochure into the garbage or will peruse through it will depend on several issues. Here is the look at them:

• It is vital that the right target audience be addressed and thus it is important to study the demographics of the audience or the mailing list that you are sending out direct mails to. A bachelor may not open a mail from Good Housekeeping magazine, while a teenager may throw away a direct mail from an investment company even before she opens the envelope.
• The message conveyed on the envelope is often the most important part of direct mail advertising. It should capture in a few dramatic words the offer that is made by the letter inside. The creative team for a direct mail campaign has to work hard on the punch line that will motivate the customer to open the envelope and not trash it.
• Frequency of direct mail is also a crucial factor. There is a subtle difference in keeping your customers updated on the latest offers made by a company and crowding their mail box with direct mail. Hence the direct mail campaign needs to be well planned and executed and not rushed into.

Advantages of Direct mail Advertising

• Customers can be directly targeted and this increases the chances of them reacting to the direct mail in a positive manner.
• The direct mail is sent out to those who are already somewhat willing or interested in the product or service that is being offered.
• The marketing message can be personalized to suit the needs and interests of the customer. This makes it more appealing to them.
• It is easy to measure the effectiveness of a direct mail campaign as a company has to only study a select audience and the reactions that the direct mail elicited.
• The direct mail may be lengthy and in detail and the company sending it out is in control of the contents and can use it to suitably convey its message.
• The direct mail campaign can be kept a secret from competitors until it has actually reached the target audience.
• It is a great way to keep the mailing list of a company informed of the latest offers and discounts from the company. This may initiate the customer to react sooner than they would have otherwise.
• This advertising technique depends on the active involvement of the customers. And opening the envelope is the first step towards accepting the message being sent out.