How to Integrate Direct Mail Into Your Digital Strategy

Direct mail is thriving now more than ever. According to the Data & Marketing Association, direct mail marketing response rates have increased by 43% between 2015 and 2016. And on average, the return on investment for direct mail was $12 for every dollar spent. Though many people believe digital marketing has pushed direct mail out, the opposite is true: the rise of digital tech has complemented direct mail so well that integrated strategies are now a power move. 

Combining the nostalgic element of physical mail with the ease and convenience of online is a great way to reach your target market. Although digital and print are two very different worlds, you can merge these channels to optimize each stage of your marketing strategy and gain a higher level of consumer insight. There are various Gmail add-ons like mail merge. Here’s how you can integrate direct mail into your digital strategy: 

Cookies & Tracking Pixels

All businesses should have cookies and tracking pixels to gain a better understanding of where their visitors are coming from, where they’re going, and who they are. With tracking pixels, you can mail your direct marketing materials specifically to people who have visited your website but haven’t taken any action yet. You can also use this data to gain a better understanding of which website pages or products yield the highest engagement rates. Armed with this knowledge, you can design physical mailers that align with what’s popular on your website. 

Add QR Codes

QR codes have been around for quite some time, and it’s a trend that has experienced the highs and lows in the world of marketing tactics. However, recently more marketers are harnessing the power of QR codes to provided detailed and insightful service and product information without overloading the end user with text. With the rise of mobile usage, all a person has to do is pull out their phone and point the camera at the barcode-like image. From here, the phone completes an action—whether it’s taking you to a product page or prompting you to download an application. 

There are plenty of creative ways to add a QR code to your direct mail. Try putting it on the outside of your custom window envelopes, or adding it to your coupon flyers. Studies have shown that the majority of people who receive direct mail will, at the very least, scan its contents. Having a QR code could help eliminate the guesswork into one simple and convenient action. 

Display Ads

Display ads are a form of pay-per-click ads that appear as banners on webpages and text boxes in search engines. You can combine your online display ads by connecting it to your direct mail data file. For example, let’s say you’ve targeted the small city of Hiram, Georgia for your direct mail efforts. You’d then make similar demographic decisions are you build out your display ad campaigns so that these two match. Think of this as a reverse form of re-targeting; it gets your brand name in front of the people that matters most, time and time again. 

Social Media

Social media is one of the best ways to generate buzz around business news, and you can use this to get people excited about what’s to come. First and foremost, you can use social media as a springboard to post your direct mail ads. And of course, why not include social media icons on your mailers to increase chances of social shares and engagement? You could also develop a hybrid social-direct mail contest, encouraging your followers and potential customers to keep a lookout for contest instructions in the mail. Incorporating a social aspect into your contest will help boost brand awareness. 

Email Marketing

Although there are now several different types of marketing, email marketing remains one of the most effective. Although other types—like direct mail—tend to have a higher ROI, email still remains the preferred form of communication between consumers and brands. Because of this, you can create a highly integrated strategy by building a campaign based solely around the people who have interacted with your business before and offered contact information. This way, you can send them an email with a subject line along the lines of “Guess what’s coming to your mailbox soon?” This builds up your mailer in a unique and direct way. This also provides them with a reminder to keep their eyes peeled for your marketing materials.