"Response is one of the five keys of successful direct marketing. And if you have that, the other four don't matter."
The final topic in our series of 10 blogs is also one of the most important. To some people, all promotional mailers will be classed as 'Junk Mail', but the vast majority of recipients will make a split-second judgement call based on the look and feel of each item. With 44% of Direct Mail going unopened, this is both your challenge and your opportunity.
Fundamentally, there are two topics here. Firstly, we have mailers intended for existing customers, which are pretty much guaranteed to be opened. The big challenge for eGaming businesses is the new customer; someone who has never spent their money on your site before and may not even be aware of your brand. These are the people most likely to think twice before reading your carefully created mailer, and the least likely to act on it. You're never going to get a 100% hit rate for either, but you can takes steps to maximise the success rate.
Put simply, getting it right is a culmination of all of the topics we have discussed in this series. From the list to the offer, content and quality of the design, each factor needs to work together seamlessly in order to guarantee success. You start with an advantage over email, given that 56% of people believe that Direct Mail is more trustworthy, but you need to get everything else right if you want to capitalise on this perception.
Get it right and the results should speak for themselves. Direct Mail has a response rate 30 times greater that promotional emails and, according to research undertaken by the University of Bangor, the 'real' experience provided by a printed mailer has a far greater emotional effect. This means it's more memorable and more likely to generate positive associates in the reader's subconscious.
The concept of junk mail is, in fact, not really the main factor here. If you've got your lists right and avoided people who don't want to receive promotional mailers, you should be fine. The key is to achieve the right perception. Follow the advice I've given over the past nine blogs, put together a truly winning Direct Mail campaign and half the battle is won.
Find out how we can make Direct Mail work for your business by contacting the Secure Direct Mail team on 01624 698444.