If you’re like most business owners, you want to ensure that your direct mail campaigns are as successful as possible. Testing is a crucial part of any good marketing strategy, and direct mail is no exception. But what should you be testing? With so many variables to consider, many business owners don’t even know where to start, much less how to measure campaign results when it comes to direct mail. Here are 3 key elements in testing how effective your direct mail campaign is.
1) The List
The first step to a successful campaign is understanding your target audience. The next logical question becomes “What do you offer them?” Understanding their needs and desires will help guide future campaigns in creating all types of offers tailored specifically toward those interests or demographics. It’s important to understand your target audienceto achieve a successful campaign.
Test your list by segmenting it in simple ways like males vs. females to set the stage for visual components and the language used. When you use age and other demographics, you can see if your offer was received well by that segment. It’s wise to segment large lists into smaller ones you can test individually. The outcomes from comprehensive tests like male vs. female, geography, income-level, family status, and others can be leveraged in future campaigns to boost response.
When you develop an accurate list of your target audience, it will help in choosing the best design. Constructing bold and amplified direct mail generates a clear brand identity that sets you apart from the rest and puts you in a better position than your competitors.
2) The Offer
The offer is critical when persuading the audience to respond. In every industry, the offer has to stand out for consumers to be interested. If you’re wondering how to decide, testing is your true ally. Regardless of what your offer is, whether it’s offering a subscription service or a high-end product, you need to test your offer. Instead of attempting to reach your entire audience with a single offer, test the offers with a sub-segmented list. The important thing is the capability to test the response rate.
3) The Creative
Grabbing a consumer’s attention is key to getting a response. A standout combination of colors, imagery and fonts used are just a part of what you’re able to test when conducting direct mail marketing. Deciding on the creative comes down to your list and it should be tested properly so that you can achieve the best results. For example, when conducting a simple test that targets women consumers, a financial services company may opt to test a standard offer envelope instead of an exceptionally decorated pink foil envelope. The following are the creative elements you can test:
- Fonts
- Colors
- Imagery
- Envelope size
- Envelope thickness
- Decorative vs. standard envelope
- Paper Weight
- Standard offer envelope vs. structural or dimensional pieces
- Envelopes with no text vs. with outside text
Learn How Direct Mail Can Increase Sales
With 30 years of experience in direct mail, packaging, and printing, Ritter’s Printing & Packaging has seen much success come from direct mail campaigns that implement direct mail testing. The advantages of testing don’t stop at one successful marketing campaign. They generate extraordinary benefits for companies to gain a better understanding of reaching, engaging, and drawing in their market. Our team has the expertise to execute quality direct mail marketing campaigns.
Our customers are number one and we are committed to treating customers just like our own family. If you’re interested and would like to learn more, contact our Fort Lauderdale office at 954-771-7204 today. To stay up to date, follow Ritter’s Printing & Packaging on Linkedin.
