Email inboxes are so full of marketing messages these days, it’s easy for an advertiser to be overlooked and, ultimately, deleted.

Instead, consider direct mail campaigns, which rely on good old-fashioned shipping services to deliver postcards, brochures and even promo products to clients’ and prospects’ offices or residences. They’re popular in the industry: In recent months, AMB3R Creative (asi/590243) mailed out on-trend hoodies as a form of self-promo, and Sky High Marketing (asi/328476) shipped classic rock-inspired kits.

The data shows that consumers respond well to receiving direct mail. According to the Data & Marketing Association, 90% of it gets opened, compared to only 20% to 30% of emails. And nine in 10 millennials love receiving physical mail, says the USPS. Physical mail also builds more trust with consumers – especially when it’s personalized – versus digital ads.

Here are six steps for launching a successful direct mail campaign.

What Is Personal Branding?

Think of your personal brand as the combination of skills, experiences and personality traits that define you. It’s the story you tell the world about who you are, what you stand for and what you can offer. Having a strong and consistent personal brand will help you differentiate yourself from competitors, creating a memorable and lasting impression. It will also help establish credibility and trust with your audience, positioning you as a thought leader in your chosen field.

Try these five steps to create your own personal brand.

1

Define the goal.

First, figure out what you want to achieve with the campaign. Perhaps it’s to get in front of more prospects’ eyes, or to drive more traffic to your website. Whatever your objectives, it should be the main focus of the project and should also be measurable. Also decide how many pieces you want to mail, whether it’s to your entire client base or a few preferred accounts.

2

Use your CRM.

As long as the information there is up-to-date and accurate, you can lean on your CRM to create the mailing list for your campaign. It’s a good idea to confirm mailing addresses for recipients – particularly if a company has recently gone remote and items will need to be shipped to residences.

3

Know your audience.

Use insights you’ve gleaned from previous campaigns to inform your direct mail initiative, such as prospect and client likes, dislikes, behaviors and work setup, so you know where to send the items. This will also help you decide on a format, like a dimensional mailer with branded products inside. Also use personalization where appropriate.

90%
the percentage of direct mail that recipients open.(Data & Marketing Association)

4

Include a call to action.

The design of the item should be eye-catching and attention-grabbing, which will boost engagement. Use an easy-to-read font and include a clear call to action, like scanning a QR code that will take them to your website, or asking them to send you an email with a specific subject line if they’re interested in finding out more about what you offer.

5

Do a test-run.

Ship a few units first to see how things go – if there are unforeseen issues with delivery, it’s better to have a small quantity to deal with rather than 100 of them. You can also monitor the response before sending out the rest and make tweaks as needed. Grow your campaigns as you go based on the success you have.

6

Send follow-ups.

A couple of weeks after the items have been sent, contact recipients to confirm they received the direct mail pieces – and offer to answer any questions. Also ask them for feedback on the campaign to gather additional insights that will inform your future efforts.