10 things you should know about Direct Mail

How GDPR works with Direct Mail

B2B mailing is not subject to GDPR rules unless it is a private address, GDPR is mandatory for B2C and proof of purchase is needed for a legitimate business/advertising mailing to proceed. A method of opting out of the mail is required. Any data that is purchased needs to be from a legitimate broker with proof of GDPR compliance. A citizen has the right to privacy.

How can you save money on postage?

When we receive your data, we audit it against the Royal Mail PAF system. You would then be informed of the results (pass or fail reasons of being delivered). If you choose to clean the data, this would reduce the amount produced and posted. The clean data report can be imported to your internal systems for future activity. You can also save up to 15% on Royal Mail incentives to reduce future mailing costs.

How much information can you include in Direct Mail?

Your mail pack can weigh up to 100g in total, before addition postal charges are applied. Give your customers more than just a letter, include; vouchers, coupon codes, leaflets; giving your customer lots to consider. (¹⁾ When mail was added to the mix, 35% more consumers redeemed coupons.

How to target your ideal customer

Carry out an 80/20 Pareto Analysis on your existing customer and sales data. This will give you the profile of the customers that bring in 80% of your business and the products that bring in 80% of your T/O and margin. (²⁾ Campaigns including mail were 27% more likely to deliver top-ranking sales performance.

How does social media compliment Direct Mail?

Using social media with Direct Mail will gain more awareness and get attention. Using advertising postal mailings alongside your social media in your campaign will result in a more successful campaign. (²⁾ Receiving mail during a social media campaign will make 70% of the audience go online.

How to set campaign objectives

Ask yourself these questions;

• Who do you wish to target and what is the deadline for the campaign?
• Do you have a database and what numbers are you looking at?
• What is the message you and how do you want them to respond?
• Who, what, when and how?
• What tools are you going to use and timings?

⁽²⁾ 55% of people said Direct Mail gave them a better impression of the company who sent it.

Ways to create a call to action

• Supply a form to be filled in with a reply-paid envelope.
• Use vouchers or coupon codes to be redeemed online
• Provide a booklet of bestsellers (you could include QR codes for product viewing online).

⁽³⁾ 92% of people were driven online as a result of receiving direct mail.

How personalisation makes it more successful

Nobody likes to think they are part of a mass mailing; personalisation makes a person feel special. When a person hears/reads their name, it triggers greater brain activation and is linked to the part of the brain associated with visual and long-term memory processing.

 (²⁾ 87% of people rate direct mail as believable.

How to select your data for success

Make sure your data is up to date and is the correct target audience for your product or service. When purchasing data, make sure the supplier is working to the GDPR law. Also, you must give recipients the option to opt-out of future calls, emails or mail.

⁽²⁾ 27% of mail stays in the home for over 4 weeks!

Why use a letter and a printed envelope?

All parts of a mailing play a part in the success of a campaign with the envelope leading them into the content. Good campaigns tell a story and the letter holds the recipient’s hand, telling them what to do. It would be rude to send information without an explanation and the letter lets them know you are legitimate. (²⁾ 51% of people prefer sensitive and confidential information by post.

⁽¹⁾ Royal Mail Market Reach. It’s All About Mail and Email, 2014.

⁽²⁾ Royal Mail Market Reach, 2019.

⁽³⁾ DMA facts and figures.