What is direct mail marketing?
Direct mail marketing is sending physical promotional materials—such as postcards, catalogs, letters, or brochures—to a specific person's mailbox. Unlike online channels that live on screens, direct mail provides a tactile touchpoint that recipients hold, read, and keep in their homes.
In an omnichannel marketing strategy, direct mail acts as a bridge between the online and physical worlds. It allows brands to reach customers who may have unsubscribed from other marketing channels or simply prefer physical media. And when your direct mail is rooted in customer data, it can be as relevant and personalized as your email and SMS flows.
Benefits of direct mail marketing
Physical mail offers a distinct way to capture attention in a crowded media environment. Whereas people are used to scrolling past ads online, they have to physically touch a piece of mail. It gives your brand a physical presence in a customer's life that purely online channels can’t replicate.
Direct mail also fills gaps in addressable audiences. Some high-value demographic groups engage less with online channels but respond well to physical offers. Adding direct mail to your marketing mix expands your ability to connect with these customers on their preferred terms.
Here are a few more ways direct mail supports your brand presence in ways that complement online channels:
- Increased brand visibility: A physical mailpiece can occupy space in a customer's home, potentially serving as a recurring visual reminder of your brand.
- Expanded reach: Direct mail connects you with customers who may be unreachable via email or SMS due to unsubscriptions or low online engagement.
- Lower message fatigue: Sending a physical message empowers you to stay in touch with customers without adding to the noise of their inbox.
- Tangible product presentation: High-quality print materials allow you to showcase product details, textures, and colors in a format online imagery can’t always replicate.
Key features of direct mail marketing
A successful direct mail strategy relies on several core capabilities to function effectively within an automated marketing ecosystem, including:
- Audience targeting: Use customer data to identify recipients based on specific criteria, like purchase history, location, or engagement level.
- Event-based triggers: Set up automations that send mailers when a customer takes a specific action, such as becoming a VIP or celebrating a birthday.
- Personalization: Customize every piece of mail with variable data, such as the recipient's name, unique discount codes, or images of products they might like.
- Cross-channel orchestration: Coordinate delivery with online messages, such as sending an email teaser before a catalog arrives or a text message reminder before a coupon expires.
- Performance tracking: Use unique promo codes, QR codes, or personalized URLs to connect responses back to the direct mail campaign and gain better visibility into how people are engaging.
How to launch a direct mail marketing campaign
Launching a successful direct mail marketing campaign requires a blend of data precision, creative design, and logistical coordination. Here's how to get started:
Step 1: Define your campaign goals and target audience
Establish exactly what you want to achieve with your direct mail campaign, such as building brand awareness or re-engaged lapsed customers. Then, find the right audience for your objective by segmenting your lists based on location, purchase history, or engagement level.
Step 2: Choose your format and design a compelling mailer
Select a physical format that suits your budget and message, such as a postcard, letter, or catalog. Your design should aim to grab attention and communicate your value proposition clearly, ideally within seconds of being picked up.
In addition to creating a visually engaging layout with a bold headline and concise copy that leads the eye directly to a clear call to action, follow these best practices for design:
- Keep it simple. Avoid clutter by using high-resolution images and plenty of white space.
- Highlight the benefit. Make the offer the focal point of the design so the recipient knows what’s in it for them immediately.
- Use durable stock. Select a paper weight that feels substantial and survives the postal journey intact.
Step 3: Set up a tracking mechanism
Understanding how your audience is engaging with your direct mail campaign can be more difficult than tracking engagement with online campaigns, but it’s not impossible. Embed tracking mechanisms like QR codes, unique promo codes, or personalized URLs in your direct mail so you can connect offline responses to your campaign more accurately.
Step 4: Manage production and mailing logistics
Efficient production and postage choices are important for managing costs and helping your mail arrive on time. Decide between handling logistics in-house or partnering with a full-service provider to handle printing and sorting.
Select a postage class that balances speed with budget, and coordinate with printers to verify that print quality meets your brand standards.
Step 5: Integrate mail with digital marketing channels
Remember, direct mail works best when it acts as a physical touchpoint within a broader omnichannel journey. Coordinating delivery with online messages reinforces the offer and encourages action, like sending an email teaser before the mail drop or following up with a text message after the estimated arrival date.
Step 6: Analyze results and optimize for future campaigns
Measuring performance helps you understand what resonates with your audience and how your approach is performing. Analyzing response data allows you to refine your targeting and creative approach for future iterations.
Track key signals such as code redemptions, visits to personalized URLs or QR-linked pages, and mail-to-visit timing trends to understand engagement patterns.
Direct mail adds a tangible layer to your marketing strategy that can deepen customer relationships. Ready to unify your physical and online marketing? Get started with Klaviyo today.