06 April 2021
Posted by: a
Direct mail should be a part of every business’ marketing strategy, in fact it’s actually one of the most effective marketing methods to date. Yep, putting something in someone's letterbox, is actually a GREAT way of standing out from the crowd, but it does have some limitations. Coordinating a physical direct mail campaign isn't something you can whip together in an afternoon, it requires some serious planning, and some upfront costs to bring it all together, but there are marketing alternatives if you're short on time or trying to keep costs down. Email marketing, (also known as electronic direct mail or EDM) is one of the best ways to communicate to an engaged audience quickly without breaking the bank, and is a non-negotiable in any marketer's playbook. Let’s get into why...
WHY?
Access
When you run campaigns without emails, you’re essentially casting out a net. Even though there are tonnes of well-researched and effective ways to market, like social media ads, outdoor signage, car decals, and more, email marketing means your message is being delivered straight into your customers inbox, a communication channel people often check multiple times a day. It’s a more precise and direct way to deliver your campaigns.
Own your contacts
Lots of brands have a decent sized following on social media, which is an inbuilt audience for your brand, campaigns, and promotions. At the end of the day, the list of followers belongs ultimately to the social media platform you are using. If anything were to happen to social media, for example, if someone hacked your account, your followers would be gone, and it’s notoriously hard to get a hacked account back. An email list is, and always will be, yours.
WHAT?
Content
When it comes to what you should be sending out in newsletters or promo emails, the sky's the limit! You might like to start with a fortnightly or monthly newsletter with updates on your business, new products, current promotions, and maybe sharing a blog post or some exciting industry news. Alternatively, you can use your EDMs to create a more specific and targeted campaign, such as discussing a new product, promotion or sale. At IBS, we run monthly sales, and send our customers emails at the start of each month with a rundown on what’s on promotion!
Quality
Content is tricky these days. We’re blasted with information from the moment we wake up and switch on the morning news or scroll through the headlines. It’s hard to make your business stand out, and only the clever content will cut through. It’s important to provide your readers with value when sending emails, for example you could include a few ideas on how to capitalise on a sale, or provide some social media tips. You can also share some innovative news from the industry, or give an inside look into how your business operates. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
HOW?
Setting up
Your new account or ordering process probably already requires customers to give you their email address, so you likely already have a decent email list you can use for an EDM! You can easily import your customers emails individually or from a csv file when you set up your email marketing software (more on that in a sec!), as long as they can choose to unsubscribe if they wish to (more on that soon as well!).
Sending the emails
The best way to go about EDMs is to use direct mail software! There are stacks of options, including Campaign Monitor, MailChimp, and Zoho Campaigns, and most will have free versions for you to try before you decide to proceed with the paid service. Most of these programs will allow you to design and customise your emails, add text, photos, links, and buttons, and will guide you through the process.
Opt out option
It is a legal requirement to have an option to opt out or unsubscribe from marketing emails. All email marketing software has a built in unsubscribe feature to help you manage your subscribers. If you are sending important updates like out of stock notices or info about customers’ orders, you can send emails even if they have opted out of marketing emails. There’s an important difference between the two!
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the idea of setting up a direct mail marketing, get in contact with us, we can help!