Top Tips for B2B Direct Mail Marketing
Sending targeted B2B direct mail can be one of the most successful and cost effective direct marketing methods to reach your business prospects and existing customers.
Here are 15 top tips to help you get the best out of your B2B direct mail marketing:
1. Plan – make sure you have a good plan of action so you know what you want to achieve and how to achieve it. Planning equals better results, better targeting and will help minimise any problems you may come up against
2. Use good up-to-date B2B data. Put simply, if you don’t, the direct mail will just fail to reach its intended audience and go to the wrong person or no one instead – a highly effective waste of money and also bad for your business reputation too
3. Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate your message. You will only have a few moments in which to grab the attention of the person receiving the direct mail. You must make it very clear what you are offering, why they need it and how to get it – your call to action
4. Make it compelling. A deal or some sort of offer tends to work well i.e. money off or a free trial. Something that will grab their attention and make your prospect want to respond
5. Format. What will work best for your intended audience and the message you want to get across i.e. postcard, sales letter, brochure, newsletter, catalogue – there are lots of different formats to choose from
6. Creative. The words and pictures you use. You need well-written copy that sells rather than confuses. If you can’t do it yourself you could get a copywriter to do it for you. It isn’t expensive but make sure you see examples of B2B direct mail copy they’ve already done. Eye-catching and professional looking design also works but it needs to be appropriate for the audience and the mailing you are sending out
7. Call to action. B2B direct mail always works best when it includes some form of call to action. A call to action makes it clear what you want the person receiving the direct mail to do next i.e. a free trial or money off offer will give them a reason to call your number, fill in and send back the reply paid card you’ve included or order online with the promotional code provided
8. Always make it easy for people to respond by providing a variety and clear ways for them to get in contact
9. Test. If you can, try a bit of trial and error and test out your direct mail. Send out a small quantity of direct mail first and try out different offers/timings to see what gets the best response. But don’t be afraid to go with your gut instinct and have a go. The use of good sales leads and mailing lists will minimise any risks
10. Think integrated. Using other methods in combination with direct mail works really well and will often bring you the best results. Examples of integrated include the use of multiple direct mailings, a combination of direct mail and phone calls, and email in combination with direct mail and phone call follow up
11. Results. Once you’ve tested your direct mail you are ready to go. Before you do, always make sure that you’ve set up some processes to measure the success of your direct mail. This is where your call to action comes back into play. For example, always include some form of reference number or promotional code in the direct mail that you send so that if people call or order online, for example, you’ll be able to match their response against the direct mail you sent out
12. If you find your direct mail is working don’t be afraid to do it more than once. However, make sure that you don’t become a nuisance. A one off mailing won’t deliver the results you need nor will a constant barrage of direct mail
13. Follow-up. Once you’ve gone to the trouble of sending out direct mail, make sure that you always respond. As a potential customer, there is nothing more frustrating than replying to direct mail and then not getting a response. It hardly gives them a good reason for giving you business
14. Existing customers. Direct mail is also a good way to keep your customers informed of what you are doing and any special offers you can offer them too
15. Opt-out. Always provide an opt-out facility so that your prospect can tell you if they don’t want to receive any further information from you.
For more information on B2B direct mail marketing, http://www.infouk.com
Published on 02/12/2009