The USPS will probably be heartened to learn that I’m getting more and more inquiries regarding physical direct mail — you heard right, the old fashioned stuff made of paper that arrives in your mailbox and delivered by an actual mail carrier. Just like late great folk singer John Prine, the singing mailman!

So I thought now would be a good time to publish here information I posted in a business forum: 

• Good direct mail begins and ends with targeting. The more you parse the available data to identify the best prospects, the better the chances of getting them to open the piece, engage, respond and convert. 

• Make sure you purchase a high-quality list. This will ensure deliverability, improve your response rate and reduce your cost-per-acquisition. 

• Design your mailer to get the recipient inside the envelope or package, but contrary to popular belief this doesn’t necessarily mean flashy or unique. It could be intriguing, dimensional, it could have an outer headline that hits home or it could be simple and plain as hell. I’ve had all these approaches work. It depends on the audience, what you’re selling and the overall strategy. 

• The content and the messaging inside must hit the target directly as soon as they open the mailer as something that has value, speaks to their needs and is worth their time. 

• Response mechanisms should be clear and easy, but what can sometimes lift response is making them physically engage somehow, by sending something in with a code or by going to a specific response page online as examples. 

• Track both responses and conversions.

• Follow-up mail to everyone but have a separate messaging strategy for no response, responded but not converted and conversions (the latter for loyalty or up-selling). 

So there you have it. Send me a postcard, drop me a line, give me a call, stating point of view as the Beatles sang (continuing our musical references). Fill out the form or call me at 904-744-8877 before y0u try your next direct mail campaign.