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The Value of Using Low-Volume Direct Mail Campaigns
What will you, as a marketer, do differently that will attract the attention of your target market on your next direct mail campaign? Will your copy include an obvious call to action to provoke an immediate response from the consumer? What about the mailer itself; are the visuals appealing enough to jump out at consumers and demand it be opened? And just how many pieces are you sending out? Is it enough to generate the return your need?
The last question often comes down to a company’s budget; the more funds they have access to, the more mailers they can mail out. But what about taking a different approach? What if you increased how much money you spend on each package but send out fewer packages/mailers? A low-volume direct mail campaign can provide promising results.
Purpose of Low-Volume Direct-Mail Campaigns
With a low-volume direct mail campaign, a company will send out fewer mailers, but can allocate that extra money toward creative packages—therefore increasing the chances of the mailer being opened. For example, instead of using standard envelopes, why not try using decorative 3D mailers?
This strategy involves focusing the mailers to a select group. This segment of your list should typically be made up of influencers who can spread the message of your campaign to others in their networks.
Low-Volume Direct Mail Success Stories
The enterprise software company Sybase wanted to hold a series of breakfast sessions to inform their key consumers about the advantages of their products. The marketing team decided that phone calls wouldn’t be enough, and because they were focusing on a low number of influential clients, they wanted to try something different. That “something different” turned out to be a box that contained a branded Sybase coffee mug. Sitting on top of the mug was a creative, multi-fold invitation with the wording: “Sybase would like you to have this cup. On October 4th we’ll pour the coffee.”
Now remember that only select members from the Sybase mailing lists were selected, yet they were able to get a tremendous response and fill up all available seating for the breakfast sessions.
Another success story comes when Intel launched its i860 64-Bit Processor. Intel wanted more than a press release to announce the big news, so they tried a different method. Intel held a celebratory reception at the Legion of Honor at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, where they invited all of the technical press corps. Instead of using straightforward invites, marketers decided to send members of the press a box containing a pair of black socks. The wrapping around the socks stated: “On February 27, Intel will knock yours off!”
A formal invitation with instructions on how to arrive at the destination was also included and the reception was a success.
Understand Your Targets
These are two examples of how low-volume direct mail campaigns can yield powerful results. It will require more upfront costs to buff up your mailers, but if you can narrow down your targets to a select group of influencers, then the extra spend certainly becomes worth it.
Macromark has facilitated all kinds of direct mail campaigns in our 25 plus years of being in the industry. Knowing as much information as possible about your target market is the key to that campaign being successful. The more you know about your target market, the better you can plan your campaigns and the better you can predict the results.
Contact us today for more information on what we can do to help you better reach your target audience.
David Klein
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