These days, most businesses take a multi-channel approach to marketing. For some companies all those channels are digital–email, website, online ads and social media. But a lot of savvy companies include Direct Mail in their plans. And with good reason.

Consumer research has turned up some interesting facts about people and their mail. Only 36% of companies surveyed believed that customers still value snail mail. But a whopping 64% of consumers said they do value receiving mail at home. That includes Direct Mail.

Another surprising fact: 65% of adult Millennials said they’d rather read something on paper than online!

If you’re marketing plan includes Direct Mail, you may already be expert at getting your message across. But if you’re not completely satisfied with your roi, here are three ways to increase your response rates:

Make it Personal–Direct Mail has always worked best when it’s personal and targeted. That means choosing lists with defining characteristics, such as age, neighborhoods, socio-economic factors and so on. It’s not enough to personalize the mail with recipients’ names. It’s important to speak to the readers as though you know them personally.

Mail Smarter–As the cost of postage continues to rise, Direct Mail marketers are getting more targeted. The message needs to fit the mailing list(s) like a glove. It’s no longer about mailing more pieces. It’s about getting a higher response rate per piece. Advances in list segmentation technology make it possible to target ideal customers with great accuracy.

Test, Test, Test–The letter, the graphics, and the mailing package itself can all enhance or retard response. The most useful tests change one element at a time, to see exactly what elements make the most difference. Your printer can help with the logistics of testing.

Counting Your Printer as Part of the Marketing Team

When it comes to Direct Mail, it’s a great idea to include your printer or print broker as part of the team. After all, who knows more about the technical aspect of getting pieces printed and ready to mail than your printer?

4CP is an independent print management company that provides clients with management services for printing and mailing needs. With over 15 years of experience in managing direct marketing production projects, 4cp specializes in delivering the highest quality in management services. To find out how we can make your next Direct Mail campaign cost effective and hassle-free, please contact us.