Now is the right time to start doing direct mailings again. It feels really old school. Retro, I would even say. And that’s exactly what makes it exciting again. No one is sending postal mailings anymore, everything is going digital. That’s why you can really stand out now.
I would like to tell you a little story that just happened to me. Monday morning. I walk into my office. There’s a very nicely wrapped square box on my desk. I didn’t order anything, I think to myself. So I’m looking forward to receiving a present. First I open the beautifully printed wrapping paper. Inside is a neutral brown cardboard box. No printing, nothing special. I open the box. Inside is printed, colorful paper. I don’t notice anything special at first and take it out. Then there are blue scraps of paper underneath. I start rummaging around because I think “there must be something great inside”. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
You know that feeling when you order something really small from an online store and then you get this huge box in the post and you almost feel guilty because so much garbage and air is being sent.
That’s what happened in this case. Next thought, I take a look at what it says on the piece of paper and turn it over. There was a little gimmick where you had to twist a few slices of paper together to make a message. But it still wasn’t a highlight. And on the back, which was the first thing I saw earlier, it just says something very superficial: Why don’t you get in touch for a coffee, a dinner, I’d be happy to have a chat.
So what was missing from the whole thing? A real story. A clear added value for me. And a simple method for booking an appointment that also offers added value.
Creative direct mailings? We can do that! Click here for the article about our last Christmas mailing!
What do I want to achieve with the mailing? An order? An appointment? A registration? A definition in advance is important so that the mailing can really achieve something and I can create the right story.
Who will receive the mailing? What pain points does this person currently have? How can I help? I need to think carefully about who I am sending the mailing to and why.
What should the recipient perceive, think and feel first? The mailing must stand out, be special and immediately convey added value for the recipient.
Who is the recipient and what does the individual specifically need? The mailing should not immediately feel like a mass mailing that has been sent out aimlessly. The recipient should get the feeling that I have already considered in detail what I can offer.
What is the call to action? How does the recipient get to the goal that you have defined? Contacting, registering or making an appointment should be clear and easy to understand. No detours.
The bee story continued at Easter and was again sent out as a direct mailingAlways think about tracking. Postal mailings can be very easily linked to digital tools and databases. Every link, every QR code and every form should be tracked and traced. This reduces wastage and clear lessons can be learned from the data.
The invitation to Breakfast with AI & Co was sent out in the form of a door hanger - a QR code on the back took recipients to a landing page with a registration form for the event
