Insurance Marketing Strategies and Ideas

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Insurance Marketing Strategies and Ideas

Do you find insurance marketing complicated? If yes, you are not the only one.

Insurance is a difficult topic for a layman to understand. And, many insurance agents struggle with making people aware of their services or products to get relevant leads.

To overcome this, they need to put in a lot of effort and educate people about insurance. Also, agents can help prospects understand their needs so that they can select the right policy or plan accordingly.

But, it is not simple! So, if you are looking for excellent insurance marketing campaign ideas, you have come to the right place.

In this blog post, we have compiled a list of the most creative ways to sell insurance. Dive in with us to enhance your business communications by adding these ideas to boost your sales, create relationships, and improve your brand image.

Let’s get started!

Creative Insurance Marketing Ideas

Here, we have listed the best marketing ideas for insurance agencies. Let’s go through them one-by-one:

1. Level Up Your Email Marketing Strategies

Email marketing is one of the most popular and effective marketing channels today. You can incorporate it into your insurance marketing plans to boost conversions.

Remember, sending regular emails to your customers is not enough because people receive tons of spam emails every day. The chances are, they might ignore your emails or move them to trash immediately after reading them.

It is your responsibility to use creative marketing ideas for insurance agents. Here are some tips:

• Draft attention-grabbing subject lines.
• Share informative newsletters through emails.
• Use strong and upfront calls to action.
• Use email auto-responders to reply back to your clients instantly.
• Create email sequences for your existing and potential clients.
• Personalise all your email marketing campaigns.
• Include an email signature consisting of your contact details.

2. Fulfil Your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Did you know that fulfilling your CSR duties can be a powerful marketing strategy for insurance companies?

There are many opportunities to gain popularity for your agency while helping others, such as:

• You may sponsor a small show in your locality like a marathon.
• Donate to a nonprofit every time you get a quote. It will convince more people to request quotes and buy insurance from your agency.
• You can conduct your own local charity events.

You can meet other business owners, local community members, and your customers. Also, you can get positive PR coverage in local magazines, newspapers, etc., increasing your brand visibility.

3. Make Your Phone Number and Location Visible Everywhere

Let us start by asking a few questions:

• How many clients have your business number saved on their phones? 
• Does your location rank high on Google Maps?

Agencies may not pay much attention to the aspects mentioned above, but implementing them in the right manner can make a huge difference in your sales levels.

Encourage your prospects and customers to save your contact number—so that they can reach you if they have a billing issue or a query. Hence, they will always have access to your contact details and can refer to someone easily.

Make sure to add your contact information like email address, phone number, website link, address, etc., on every marketing item (both online & offline). Also, printing statements, invoices, and letters on your company letterhead can make a positive impact on your insurance target audience.

4. Focus on Content Marketing to Educate Your Clients

As said earlier, many insurance terms and products are difficult to understand for the general public.

You can use this fact to your advantage by educating your customers. Tell them about the latest insurance products and services available in the market along with their features.

The best way to do that is by developing robust content marketing plans- draft timely whitepapers, press releases, newsletters, etc. You may publish and share them online on your website and social media platforms.

From your agency’s recent accomplishments to trending insurance news, you can share anything to boost your digital outreach. But, be sure to publish valuable and original content only to maintain your brand reputation.

5. Combine Online and Offline Marketing Channels

You can combine your online and offline marketing tools to increase visibility and improve your brand image. Running several simultaneous campaigns allows you to get wider coverage and accelerate conversions.

But, keeping your marketing efforts consistent with your brand is significant. All your online and offline ads should be aligned with one another and give out the same message.

It makes it easy for people to remember you this way. Also, it helps increase brand recognition and strengthen relationships.

Another practice that can help you is printing marketing messages on all correspondence pieces like payment reminders, policy statements, etc. Thus, you can always be ahead of your competitors and keep your audience hooked.

6. Create a Functional Website

Most insurance businesses have websites, but some still don’t possess one. However, it is significant to have a functional and helpful website as it determines your brand authenticity.

Your website should be easy to navigate and look professional. Make sure you have a responsive website that works perfectly well on different devices.   Also, it should allow you to publish and edit your content at any time.

As discussed above, let’s now add another way to boost your effort, which is adding a blog section.  You can post genuinely useful articles on your blog page to solve your audience’s queries.

Let your blog speak about your services and how your insurance agency can help make people’s lives easier. The more value you provide, the more leads you can gather.

Also, work on your landing pages- they are one of the best insurance marketing strategies to connect with a broader audience.

7. Collect and Implement Customer Feedback

Customer feedback does not only help insurance companies serve their clients better but also market themselves.

You can conduct periodic customer surveys to know what they like and dislike about your agency. Then, you can publish all the positive reviews online or send them to potential customers by direct mail.

Furthermore, take care to monitor all online reviews as they can leave a lasting impact on your prospects.

8. Deploy Search Engine Optimization

Having a functional website does help you rank on search engines results pages (SERPs), but only to a certain extent. You can create digital footprints consisting of online reviews, inbound links, business listings, social media presence, content, etc.

If you don’t want to wait for your landing pages to work, you can use pay-per-click (PPC) to rank on Google, Bing, etc.

Also, pay attention to local SEO as most of your insurance products are relevant to specific states and territories. There are higher chances of a prospect entering “insurance agents near me” or “insurance agencies Sydney.”

9. Use Video Marketing

Did you know that 87% of marketers leverage video content to advertise their brands? Well, video marketing is among the top-notch insurance marketing campaign ideas and can do wonders for your business.

You can create your videos once and then use them to sell insurance for many years to come. Hence, it does not need a lot of investment and can fetch you a high ROI.

Here are some ideas for your video marketing strategies:

• Testimonials by existing clients.
• Risk management tips and tricks.
• “About us” or “What we do” videos.
• Tutorials on insurance products.

Remember to share your videos online and share the links with your prospects.

10. Go Old-School With TV and SMS Advertising

Insurance agents might often wonder how to market insurance products. The answer is simple- use all popular online and offline marketing.

TV and SMS marketing can sound too traditional and marketers might doubt if they still work. Indeed, they do and can influence a lot of people to buy from you.

11. Push Your Digital Marketing Efforts

There are several platforms for digital marketing for insurance agents like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

Insurance agencies should often post online so that their target audience shares these posts or complete the said call to action.

You can post free or paid ads on Facebook and expand your LinkedIn connections. Respond to all your online leads and follow up regularly to close the deals.

Such online marketing strategies are among the most creative ways to sell insurance. You can create your own social media calendar, do collaborations, conduct giveaways, etc.

It is up to you how to make your insurance digital marketing strategy exciting and responsive.

12. Be a Part of Local Events

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other such business organisations conduct several local networking events. You can be a part of such events by buying a booth, but make sure that the event is relevant to your industry.

These events allow agencies to offer free insurance advice to people. It helps them with their lead generation efforts by solving queries and getting more people interested.

All their potential and existing customers can visit the booth, ask questions, and get to know the company better.

Plus, you can connect with prospects who are already interested in buying insurance. The one-to-one interaction helps you increase customer loyalty and boost confidence.

Apart from these events, you may also host seminars or webinars and invite your target audience to join.

13. Stay in Constant Touch With Your Customer Base

It is crucial to always stay in touch with your clients to increase customer retention. You can solve their queries, offer details about other policies, and thank them for their business.

Even a small gesture like sending a thank-you letter to customers can help you form better bonds and get repeat business.

You can also opt for sending handwritten letters and postcards to your old customers.

It will remind them of your agency, and there are chances that they might buy a policy from you again or talk about you with others. Hence, you can gather some mouth publicity and also get some conversions along the way.

These activities can turn out to be excellent insurance agent advertising ideas that can benefit you in the long run.

14. Provide Value

Insurance businesses can add value to their marketing materials by offering something to their audience. For example, if you send a personalised letter to someone, you can add a 5% discount on their premium.

Or, you can attach coupon mailers while sending something to clients as a sign of appreciation. The objective is to make your audience feel valued so that they continue their association with you.

Several insurance marketing campaign ideas include adding exciting offers that can persuade people to complete the CTA.

Also, make your CTA compelling and upfront. You can add lines, like:

• Contact us today to get the best rates.
• Get hassle-free insurance policies with just one phone call.
• Schedule a free session with our representative by clicking on the link below.

15. Get More and More Referrals

Sometimes, all you have to do to get referrals is to ask your clients for the same. As an insurance agent, you must talk to your clients and motivate them to refer to their friends, family members, and relatives.

Asking for referrals does not cost you time or money, but it can help you increase your sales levels considerably.

So, what can you do to get more referrals?

Firstly, Start by introducing a robust referral program that is easy to understand and participate in. Communicate about such a program with all your representatives as everyone should know how the program works and its benefits. This way, your clients can talk about your program with others and help you get several valuable referrals.

Remember to offer something to your customers for every referral, like gift cards, movie tickets, discounts, etc. These offers can incentivise them to get more people to buy insurance plans from your agency.

16. Know Your Audience

If you are thinking about how to sell more insurance, the answer is clear as a bell –  know your audience. It may seem like something basic, but understanding your buyer persona in-depth can do wonders for your agency.

Some agencies buy insurance leads from third parties, but it is advisable to work with your own leads for a better response.

It helps you target more relevant people that match your customer profile. Also, you can use geo-targeting to focus on specific areas where most of your clients reside.

PostGrid’s direct mail API can help you build targeted mailing lists from scratch based on several demographics and locations. Hence, you can reach out to your customer look-alikes and increase conversion ratios.

17. Use Marketing Automation

Several marketing automation tools can help streamline marketing strategies for insurance agents.

You can automate your activities and save a lot of time and effort. Plus, you can get everything done more effectively. From lead tracking to email marketing, insurance agencies can apply automation to all their marketing and administrative tasks.

In fact, you can automate all the creative marketing ideas for insurance agents that we discussed above. It enables you to get the most out of these strategies and keep tabs on everything.

Furthermore, you can also automate your direct mail campaigns with solutions like PostGrid to get better results at lower costs. Thus, marketing automation can help you:

• Streamline your marketing plans
• Save time and manual effort
• Save agency’s resources
• Boost productivity
• Manage lead nurturing activities, etc.

How PostGrid’s Can Help Optimize Your Insurance Marketing Strategies

PostGrid can help insurance agencies to stay ahead of the competition by connecting with all their prospects.

It allows them to conduct successful direct mail marketing campaigns without any effort. All they need to do is integrate the API into their system and launch targeted campaigns that are sure to attract an excellent ROI.

Find some of our topmost features below:

• 2-business day SLA
• Address verification and standardization
• Zapier integration
• Mail Tracking
• Data security and privacy
• Periodic campaign reports
• Dedicated technical assistance, etc.

Also, you can send any number of direct mail items according to your requirements. You can continue launching flexible, quick, and cost-effective mailing campaigns with PostGrid hassle-free at the most affordable rates.

Wrapping Up

Every new prospect you connect with counts a lot in the insurance industry. It helps you expand your network and increase the number of leads in your pipeline.

Thus, insurance agencies should conduct several types of marketing campaigns now and then. They can also combine their direct mail and digital marketing strategies to receive better outcomes.

We hope that the creative insurance advertising ideas listed in this blog will be helpful to you in achieving your marketing motives.

Undoubtedly, automating your direct mail campaigns is on the top of our list. You can create, print, and send marketing collateral like postcards, letters, etc., with just a couple of clicks using automation. Here,  PostGrid can assist you in launching result-driving mail campaigns that can keep your sales cycle running all year round.

You can print and mail anything from marketing postcards to transactional statements through our API. Sign up here to see how PostGrid can transform the face of your offline insurance marketing activities.

The post Insurance Marketing Strategies and Ideas appeared first on PostGrid.

source https://www.postgrid.com.au/insurance-marketing-strategies/

Direct Mail Guide

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Direct Mail Guide: Meaning, Benefits, and More

Did you know that 74% of people in Australia pay complete attention to direct mail? Additionally, 65% of Australians scan and read every mail item they receive.

Considering these statistics, we can say that direct mail is a powerful and must-have marketing tool for your media mix.

It helps you connect with people, improve brand visibility, and drive conversions!

But, what is AU direct mail marketing?

Direct mail is any physical correspondence sent directly to the physical mailboxes of your customers and prospects. It allows you to communicate with them personally and encourage them to buy from your business. Common examples of direct mail formats are postcards, letters, brochures, catalogues, etc.

Try adding an offer that makes people respond to your mail along with an upfront CTA that tells them what to do next.

Apart from a few basics, you can get creative with your direct mail advertising items. You may experiment with graphics, copy, colours, finishing, coating, etc. But, make sure to design something appealing and result-bearing.

In this blog, we will talk about several things regarding AU direct mail, like:

• Benefits of a direct mail marketing
• Do’s and don’ts of direct mail
• Steps to conduct mailing campaigns, etc.

Let’s dig in!

Why is Direct Mail Marketing Still Effective?

We know that direct mail is one of today’s most effective and profitable marketing channels. It helps marketers achieve several objectives, like increasing brand reputation and getting more sales.

But why does it still work even when the digital marketing field is expanding every day? What are the advantages of direct mail?

Below are some points that can answer these questions and help you learn more about direct mail:

Direct Mail Is Engaging

Direct mail consists of printed materials sent to your target market for generating new leads. These items are tangible and can engage with all the readers’ senses.

Unlike emails and social media ads, direct mail can also be felt. Hence, it is more engaging and interactive than other channels. People can save it for later use or share it with family and friends. Thus, your brand can get more visibility by using direct mail solutions.

Direct Mail Has a Broader Reach

This marketing form helps you connect with people that aren’t active on social media or other digital channels. Also, direct mail allows you to target more demographics and geographical areas than digital marketing.

With services like PostGrid, you can compile segmented mailing lists to reach relevant prospects.

Direct Mail Drives Responses

At PostGrid, we generally come across questions like- what is a good response rate for direct mails?

Well, the average direct mail response rate is 9% for in-house lists, which is far more than several digital marketing channels. Furthermore, 43% of people buy from a brand after receiving a mail item.

Thus, it is evident that direct mail Sydney can drive responses and increase your campaign’s return on investment (ROI).

If you aren’t satisfied yet, read more direct mail statistics that can change your mind.

Direct Mail Faces Less Competition

Several companies have replaced direct mail marketing Australia with digital marketing. They believe that digital marketing is more cost-effective and speedy. Luckily, direct mails are not spammed as much as online ads due to these reasons.

You can take advantage of this situation and use traditional mail to stand out from the crowd.

Creative direct mail advertising can help you give your potential customers a break from the digital noise. Hence, your audience is more likely to appreciate your mail and respond.

Direct Mail Is Long-Lasting

Recipients tend to store direct mail items at their houses for a few days, especially when they come with a coupon offer. Try adding phrases, like ‘Bring this postcard to our store by 1st March to get a 20% discount.’ Readers will likely save your items at least till the mentioned date.

Find the image below of a direct mail item with a discount coupon:

Such creative direct mailer ideas help you grab your prospects’ attention and persuade them to complete the CTA.

Tips to Conduct Effective Auspost Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns

Though direct mails are exciting and memorable to recipients, there may be a learning curve to it. Therefore, we have mentioned some do’s and don’ts below to help you out:

Do: Identify Your Target Audience

Before planning a B2C or B2B direct mail campaign, you should know your buyer personas. It enables you to focus on the most relevant prospects, saving you a lot of time and money.

Categorize your customers according to geo-demographics, like age, gender, income level, location, preferences, etc., to find their look-alikes. Then, you can target them and increase response levels easily.

Do: Always Add a Call to Action

Including a CTA in your Australia Post, direct mail marketing pieces is not optional. It can lead to your campaign’s success or failure, so be sure to add upfront CTAs.

Add them several times through your mail piece, depending on its format and size. For example, if you send a direct mail sales letter, you can include a CTA at the top and bottom. But, a small standard-sized postcard should only have one CTA that is clearly visible to the readers.

Here is an example: Scan the QR code below to complete your transaction and get a $25 cashback.

Read more about how you can incorporate QR codes into your campaigns.

Do: Follow Up Regularly

Direct mailer and marketing is not a do-it-and-forget-it activity. It requires time, patience, and follow-ups. You cannot send out your direct mail items and expect every recipient to reply. Some of them might need additional touchpoints to show interest.

Follow up with all the respondents first to help accelerate conversions. But, also remember to follow up with non-respondents; they may have forgotten to respond.

The point is not to leave any stone unturned and keep in touch with everyone. Perhaps, you can set up an email drip campaign to follow up with your direct mail recipients frequently.

Don’t: Skip Proofreading

Sending mail to existing and potential customers is not a simple task, but it is worth the effort. However, some minor mistakes may act as a barrier between you and your campaign’s success. Hence, make sure to proofread everything before printing. Look out for misspellings, incorrect details, design errors, etc.

Don’t: Miss Driving Online Traffic

Direct mail Australia Post is an opportunity for marketers to drive online traffic to their websites and social media handles. Thus, don’t forget to include all the relevant links and your contact information.

How to Send Direct Mail Online

You can always conduct a DIY direct mail campaign, but it can be daunting and expensive. Hence, you can now use the services of an automated direct mail agency like PostGrid to save money, time, and effort.

Here are the steps to launch a direct mail marketing campaign and how you can automate them:

Plan Everything In Advance

Marketers should plan every aspect of their campaigns in detail. Make sure to settle on your:

• Marketing goals: What are you looking to achieve from this campaign?
• Mailing list type: Are you buying lists or compiling them yourself?
• Campaign size: Do you want to send bulk mail or conduct a small-scale campaign?
• Response channels: What options should you give your recipients to respond?
• Marketing budget: How much are you willing to spend on a campaign?
• Types of direct mail advertising items: Which format do you need to use?

Read how PostGrid can help you send out marketing letters and postcards.

PostGrid’s automated direct mail marketing API can help you avail of huge postal discounts on bulk mail. Plus, it can help you compile targeted mailing lists consisting of valid delivery addresses.

Read more about our address verification solutions here.

Design Your Items

Your artwork is the most significant feature of your campaign. You may choose to keep it minimalistic or go over the top to make it the most creative thing your prospect has ever seen. It all depends on your campaign goals and messaging type.

Here are examples of the best direct mail campaigns:

These items are unique, eye-catching, and creative. They send out the company’s marketing message upfront and encourage recipients to take action.

PostGrid can help you design such items using its HTML templates. That’s right; you don’t need to hire a designer and pay extra!

Printing and Delivery

Usually, you need to print your mail items by yourself or outsource the job to a printing company. But, with PostGrid, you need not worry about printing and mailing. It can help you automate everything from start to end.

Firstly, your items are printed through one of PostGrid’s printing partners, who are experts in their field. Then, they are enveloped and mailed via the postal services within two business days.

Measuring Campaign Performance

It becomes easier to track responses if you include features like QR codes, pURLs, and coupon codes in your items. We can help you add them to your design and track your campaign performance accurately.

No more dangling with estimates and guessing your campaign results! PostGrid allows you to access your campaign reports and insights through your dashboard.

Conclusion

In contrast to what some people think, direct mail is far from dead. It is data-driven, targeted, trackable, and effective. Moreover, you can use the services of a direct mail house to automate all your offline mailing activities.

PostGrid’s direct mail API offers several features to its customers, like:

• Zapier integration
• International address validation
• Item personalisation
• Complete data security
• Per-piece tracking, etc.

Request a demo now to know more about our automated direct mail services!

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The post Direct Mail Guide appeared first on PostGrid.

source https://www.postgrid.com.au/direct-mail/

Direct Mail Types

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Different Types of Direct Mails and Why You Should be Sending Them

Direct mail is one of the oldest yet effective marketing strategies employed by businesses. Despite being a traditional marketing strategy, direct mail has strived throughout the years. Usually, direct mail campaigns are based on specific geographic areas.

The primary reason businesses continue to use direct mail as a marketing channel is their high response rate. Companies now have access to direct mail automation tools like PostGrid. Such tools enable businesses to get rid of manual processes altogether.

Additionally, direct mail also gives you the ability to choose between numerous types of direct mail that fits your unique needs. You must employ different types of direct mail marketing strategies that appeal to your prospects.

So, businesses must be aware of the different types of direct mail and their advantages. Here, we will discuss some of the most effective types of direct mail pieces businesses use.

7 Most Efficient Types of Direct Mails and Their Advantages

By listing the unique characteristics of the different types of direct mail we hope to help you choose the right one for your business.

1. Classic Package

The most used and popular type of direct mail used in Australia is the classic package. As you might have noticed, the classic package is the one that comes in a standard envelope. Usually, this envelope is enclosed with a letter and a response form.

The response form enclosed in the envelope can be a donation form, membership form, or something else. The classic package can also include additional mailpieces, including flyers and brochures.

It is always best to personalise the mail you send through classic packages. You can use an advanced system such as PostGrid to customise all the elements in the mailer. It includes the envelope, the letter within the same, and even the additional mailpiece.

You must align the different elements of the mailpiece with your target audience and their interests. Doing so will significantly boost the direct mail’s response rate.

2. Newsletter

Newsletters are another type of direct mail that is popular among businesses/organisations. However, it is worth noting that the newsletters are ideal for existing members/customers rather than fresh leads.

The newsletters tend to be more effective on existing customers or members. It is because newsletters inform what’s happening inside your organisation. However, there is no need for a potential lead to take an interest in your organisation’s internal matters.

Newsletters usually tend to be longer. They may contain a variety of information, such as the latest achievement of your company or organisation. Similarly, you can also use newsletters to inform the recipient about new missions or targets you’ve set for your organisation.

As the name suggests, newsletters are better used to convey the latest news important to your organisation or company. However, newsletters tend to be more costly than other mailers. Why? Because of their lengthier nature and related printing expenses.

 Also Read: What Is a Good Direct Mail Response Rate?

3. Self-Mailer

Unlike classic packages that we are well familiar with, the self-mailers do not come in an envelope. Self-mailers are usually preferred by organisations that want to minimise their direct mail cost. It is because self-mailers are relatively inexpensive.

Self-mailers often come in a single piece of large paper. The large piece of paper is then folded down to an envelope size, making it easy to carry and store. In addition, since it does not need an envelope and contains additional mail pieces, you can save a lot of paper and ink.

The minimised use of paper and ink further leads to a lower cost for the self-mailers. Like classic packages, you need to personalise the newsletter to generate a better response from the recipient. Even if the content does not vary, you still need to address the newsletter with the recipient’s name.

You can accomplish this by integrating the advanced direct mail API such as PostGrid with your CRM. It enables you to personalise your newsletters to each recipient easily. You can find and print names by simply using the data available in your CRM.

4. Postcards

Postcards are without question one of the most cost-effective types of direct mail pieces you can use. Although postcards come in different sizes, businesses usually tend to use smaller ones. The main reason businesses choose to use smaller postcards is that they are relatively cheap to print and mail.

Postcards only need a small amount of paper because of their size and lack of envelopes. As the preferable size of the postcards is small, the printing cost for such mailers is low. The smaller size of postcards also makes it easy to store, transport, and mail.

Another reason why postcards are the most popular choice among types of direct mail advertising is their visual appeal. Postcards can use personalised photos and graphics. Doing so can enable you to better connect with the recipients.

Furthermore, the use of concise messaging enables the reader to read the mailer conveniently. As a result, postcards can intrigue new target audiences to take the desired action. Additionally, it also allows your business to keep your existing customers engaged with your brand.

 Also Read: Personalizing Your Automated Postcard Mailing

5. Catalogues

Catalogues are considered one of the best types of direct mail marketing tools. They are especially beneficial for nonprofit organisations. For example, you may use them to get more donations or donors. Similarly, they are also an ideal choice for pitching new products or services to your target audience.

For boosting the response, you may try using print gift catalogues. It can be employed for businesses and nonprofit organisations alike. However, you should ensure that the catalogue conveys the specifics of your organisation, product, or service.

It is worth noting that the printing of catalogues, such as small booklets, can be relatively expensive. This high expense is due to the extra amount of paper required and the initial printing costs.

However, on the bright side, catalogues do allow you to include several images and texts based on your needs. You can use this space for showcasing the details of your products or services. Therefore, catalogues can be the ideal type of direct mail for B2B businesses.

6. Lead Letters

Lead letters are a more traditional form of direct mail. It is less popular as compared to postcards which are used across all industry verticals. But, unlike postcards, lead letters are often considered to be more professional. Hence, it is better suited for B2B businesses.

Lead letters offer a more confidential approach to direct mail marketing. However, you must aim for a highly targeted audience for your lead letters. For example, you can send lead letters to your current customers who appreciate and value the mailer’s finer details.

Due to the highly targeted nature of lead letters, they can be hyper-personalised. Thus, the mailer can fit the requirements of individual customers. Therefore, a well-drafted lead letter will make your direct mail look more sophisticated than ever.

7. Dimensional Mailers

The dimensional mailers can be considered as an upgraded version of brochures and leaflets. They are created specifically for higher level business-to-business contacts. Furthermore, dimensional mailers are ideal for providing a complete overview of your business.

Dimensional mailers allow you to capture the attention of the target audience. After all, getting noticed is half the battle when it comes to marketing. Dimensional mailers use a pop-up or three-dimensional format of mailers.

It means you can use packages such as boxes, tubes, bags, or containers with other shapes for sending your mailer. However, the three-dimensional form of the package also means that it’d be more expensive than regular mail.

That being said, most marketers would consider the extra cost of dimensional mailers money well spent. Why? Because dimensional mailers have a near-perfect open rate. Also, it has the best response rate compared to any other type of direct mail.

Streamline Your Direct Mail Operations With Automation

Regardless of the types of direct mail advertising you use, you still need advanced capabilities like automation. Thankfully, incorporating such features into your direct mail campaigns is easier than you might think.

With robust solutions like PostGrid, you can automate your entire direct mail process. This automation includes personalisation to printing to the delivery of your direct mail. You can even connect your CRM with PostGrid’s system. It will enable easy and streamlined customisation of your mailpieces.

You can use PostGrid’s address verification API to ensure direct mail’s deliverability. The AMAS (Address Matching Approval System) approved system from PostGrid validates the addresses. It is possible by comparing them against Australia Post’s official address database.

Conclusion

Today, there are several types of direct mail marketing that you can use for your unique business. The direct mail strategy you choose must be based on your unique requirements. You must also consider the different types of direct mail and their advantages and disadvantages before you select one.

The different types of direct mail have various characteristic features. Regardless of the types of direct mail advertising, you must always use an advanced direct mail automation tool like PostGrid. Systems like PostGrid can streamline your direct mail process through automation.

Powerful direct mail tools like PostGrid enable you to automate all direct mail manual processes. PostGrid’s AMAS approved API even allows you to validate your address database. Hence, you can streamline your direct mail process and ensure maximum deliverability using a system like PostGrid.

Personalize, print, and deliver different types of direct mail for your business with PostGrid! Ensure the deliverability of your direct mail campaign with PostGrid’s AMAS approved address validation API.

The post Direct Mail Types appeared first on PostGrid.

source https://www.postgrid.com.au/direct-mail-types/

Direct Mail Marketing Guide

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Direct Mail Marketing and How It’s Beneficial for Your Business

Direct mail marketing helps companies generate good response rates and boost return on investment. The physical nature of direct mail is appealing to most people, and they love receiving it in their mailboxes. In fact, 81% of Australians open and read their mail items immediately.

Not just individuals, even companies love direct mail marketing services as their top-notch marketing strategy. They can either conduct geographical or targeted direct mail marketing campaigns.

On one hand, geographical campaigns focus on the people residing in specific neighbourhoods. While on the other hand, the targeted campaigns focus on other demographics like age, gender, etc.

Keep reading this blog to know more about the advantages of direct mail marketing, ideas and examples, and how to get started. 

What Is Direct Mail Marketing?

Direct mail is any form of physical correspondence sent to prospects and customers. Companies can send marketing and transactional items as direct mail, such as postcards, letters, invoices, etc.

Direct mail advertising is a very old marketing channel. Yet, marketers continue to use it as a significant aspect of their marketing strategies.

This marketing form gives you a chance to interact with your target customers personally. Make sure to send something appealing and attention-grabbing that can convince them to buy from you.

Direct mail items come with an offer, a call to action, contact details, and much more. Apart from these, you can also add other aspects to display your creativity.

Why Does Direct Mail Marketing Work?

Why use direct mail marketing? There are several reasons why direct mail is still among the top marketing choices of many companies. Find the reasons below:

Direct Mail Faces Less Competition

In this modern era, people don’t expect to receive things in the mail. Most of the advertisements are shown online, and the masses are used to that.

This is why direct mail marketers need not face any competition, and their marketing items stand out from the crowd.

Direct Mail is Memorable

Direct mail is a tangible item that is sent directly to the physical mailboxes of your customers and prospects. These items can be stuck on a refrigerator or pinned to a board.

Also, they can be passed on from one person to another. Finally, direct mail’s tangible nature makes it memorable and increases brand recognition.

Direct Mail is Creative

You can be as creative as possible with direct mail. Marketers can come up with their own direct mail marketing ideas or take inspiration from elsewhere. Either way, direct mail allows you to get creative and showcase your brand in a good light.

Other reasons why companies should incorporate a direct mail marketing strategy are:

• Direct mail has a great response rate
• It is interactive and engaging
• Direct mail can reach a wider audience, etc.

Benefits of Direct Mail Marketing

High ROI

The median ROI of direct mail is 29%, which is much higher than social media and email marketing. It proves that direct mail offers a great return on investment and is a must-use for every company.

Drives Online Audience

The direct mail marketing industry has also understood the importance of increasing one’s online visibility. Therefore, all direct mail items today have QR codes, pURLs, etc., to help people connect with the brand online.

It helps the brand empower its reputation and awareness and convinces people to move ahead in the sales funnel.

Increased Brand Authenticity

Companies must prove themselves as credible and authentic. Running direct mail marketing campaigns can help you get there.

Direct mail is the most credible marketing channel. 74% of Australians attentively read the direct mail items they receive. It shows that people trust direct mail and consider it as a reliable means of information.

Offers a Direct and Personal Approach

There are many customisation and personalisation opportunities available for marketers with direct mail marketing. For example, you can use several variable data tags like name, age, gender, and so on.

Including such variables help you interact with people on a personal level. You can talk about their current needs and offer them a solution for the same. This direct approach is one of the key benefits of direct mail.

High Response Rate

Now, you must be thinking about what is a good response rate for direct mail marketing.

Well, the average response rate is 9%, but you can do pretty well with a response rate of 2-5%. But, again, it depends on the type of mailing list you use along with your brand messaging.

This response rate is much more than that generated by display ads, online searches, and other digital marketing channels.

Wider Audience

Many people don’t use social media platforms or other digital channels. But, you can connect with such people through direct mail.

Senior citizens love reading your mail items and also tend to engage with them. Nowadays, even teenagers and millennials have started liking direct mail due to the increasing digital noise. Therefore, direct mail helps you reach a broader audience.

Here, using automated tools can help boost your outreach. Tools like PostGrid can help you build targeted mailing lists that enable you to reach more people that match your buyer persona.

Direct Mail Marketing Campaign Ideas and Examples

Postcards

Postcard marketing makes the best direct mail marketing plans. However, if you are new to direct mail marketing, it is recommended that you first print and mail postcards. They are cost-effective and appealing, and a lot of people like collecting them.

You can send postcards:

• On your prospects’ birthdays and anniversaries
• To invite people to a trade fair or other events
• During the holiday season
• To inform customers about upcoming season sales
• For introducing new products and services
• To promote a new store or franchise, etc.

There are unlimited ideas on how to use direct mail marketing effectively with postcards. Find below some examples:

This postcard by Optical was sent to customers on their birthdays. It also offered a 30% discount to them as a gift. It is an exciting way to keep people hooked and encourage them to purchase from you further.

Here’s another example by NatureBox:

There are many things to note about this postcard, such as:

• The use of bright colours helps your postcards stand out from the other mail items in a mailbox.
• You can print your artwork in both landscape and portrait orientation. Make sure the layout fits with your messaging.
• Printing on both sides of a postcard helps you get added coverage.
• Always add an offer and CTA to fulfil the purpose of your mailing.

Letters

Letters have more space than postcards and also look more professional. So, if you want to talk about your brand in a little more detail, you can use marketing letters. Many successful direct mail marketing campaigns involved the use of letters.

Find below the marketing letter printed and mailed out by Domino’s Pizza:

This letter was sent to all their valuable members and regular customers as a gesture of appreciation. It also aimed at increasing its online sales.

As you can see, letters can be more personalised and make people feel special. You can add in other customizations as per your messaging. Below are some ideas:

• Include real-like stories and testimonials.
• Use a handwriting font to increase the appeal of your letter.
• Add some infographics to support your message.
• Mention a postscript at the end of the letter.
• Talk about your product’s benefits and uses, not features.

Press Releases and Newsletters

Companies can draft weekly or monthly newsletters and mail them to their target audience to keep them engaged. Add your company’s latest achievements, future plans, and other news in the newsletters. Make it fun, engaging, and persuasive.

You can also send press releases to your customers. It is a great way to talk about your brand and make people have an interest in you.

Content Kit

Direct mail marketing for insurance agents can work great, but they need to break down complex ideas into simple terms.

For that, most companies from the insurance industry and other similar industries put together ebooks, whitepapers, and reports. These informative pieces help prospects understand their operations better.

They can also print their case studies, reports, etc., and make a content kit to mail to their audience. This way, they can educate their audience and help them make the right decision.

Corporate Gifting

Another idea for conducting the best direct mail marketing campaigns is corporate gifting. For example, you can select merchandise like caps, t-shirts, notebooks, bottles, etc., and send them to your prospects as a gift.

Companies print their logos on such items and usually send it along with a postcard or small note.

How to Get Started With Direct Mail Marketing?

A lot of people are confused about the functioning of direct mail marketing and how to get started. So, keep reading below to know the steps to conduct a successful direct mail marketing campaign:

Build a Mailing List

If you ever conducted an email marketing campaign, then you are already aware of the term “mailing list.” All direct mail and marketing campaigns need a list of targeted prospects.

So, your first step is to put together a mailing list. Keep your customer profile in mind and make sure to only include relevant prospects in your list.

There are many different types of mailing lists like:

• Behavioural
• Demographic
• Geographic
• Firmographic
• Psychographic, etc.

Mailing lists are based on location, age, gender, income level, number of children, etc. These characteristics or aspects help you understand your relevant audience so that you can conduct targeted marketing campaigns.

Create Your Mail Pieces

Come up with a direct mail item idea that suits your campaign purpose. For example, you can use postcards for a giveaway or announcement, and letters for invitations and other purposes.

Focus on your mail design and include a relevant CTA and offer. Once the design is final, you can send your items to a printer or print them yourself.

Don’t make it too messy. Make sure that all your mail items are easy to read and interactive.

Develop a Response Mechanism

The most common response mechanisms are the use of trackable phone numbers. But, QR codes and pURLs have gained a lot of momentum recently.

That is because QR codes can help you take people to your website or other pages easily. All your recipients have to do is scan the codes and avail of their offers on visiting your website.

Try adding codes and links that are unique to your campaign. It makes tracking easy and fast.

Test and Modify

Before printing and sending out your mail items in bulk, it is essential to test their performance. Therefore, you should first send two or more items to different segments of your audience.

Record their reactions and note down the responses. It will tell you which items perform better than the others.

Run Your Campaign

Once you decide which is the best version of your direct mail items. you can finally run your campaign.

Australia Post can help you mail your items to your recipients. But, you need to write the correct mailing addresses on every item for smooth delivery.

PostGrid’s address verification API can help you standardize and verify addresses before mailing. Hence, it enables you to reduce wastage and induce fast deliveries.

Handle Responses

Once your direct mail items are delivered, you are going to start getting responses from the recipients. Therefore, companies need to be prepared to handle these responses and help the respondents move ahead in their customer journey.

Train your staff to handle calls, emails, and in-store visits well. For that, they should be aware of the campaign and its offers to properly assist the respondents.

Analyze Campaign Results

What is your direct mail marketing success rate? You can never know that unless you count your total responses and conversions.

PostGrid’s print and mail API can help you analyze your campaign performance. You can also access the insights and reports through your dashboard. These analytics can help you understand why your campaign worked or didn’t and what changes you should bring in next time.

Direct Mail Marketing Best Practices

Create Attention-Grabbing Messages

Choose words that are informative yet convincing. You should pay close attention to your marketing copy, especially the headlines.

Use bold and upfront headlines that can sum up the purpose of your mail.

Don’t spread your message into lengthy paragraphs. Instead, use short sentences and crisp bullet points to convey your point.

Integrate Direct Mail With Online Marketing

Direct mail works great as a standalone marketing strategy. But, it works even better when used in conjunction with other marketing forms.

If you want to increase your coverage and get more responses, combine direct mail and digital marketing.

You can run a direct mail campaign with simultaneous social media ads or conduct an email drip campaign immediately after a direct mail campaign.

Either way, the plan is to reinstate your message through several channels to increase awareness.

Make sure to keep your messaging and offers consistent across all channels.

Keep Your Mailing Lists Updated

Always keep your data fresh and updated. If you send items to an old mailing list, there are chances that many of your shipments will be returned.

It is because a lot of people move every year. Also, not all postal addresses in your mailing list are correct and standardized.

You can use the services of direct mail marketing specialists to verify your lists. PostGrid offers both on-demand and bulk address validation api to help you keep your database clean all the time.

Use Mail Personalisation

Sending generic marketing items can help you get responses to a certain extent. For example, suppose you are a local restaurant. In that case, you can send non-personalised postcards to all the people in your neighbourhood.

But, people like getting things with their names on them. So, they are more inclined towards reading and responding to mail that has their details printed on it.

Therefore, it is recommended to personalise your items. It can help you get more engagement and increase your ROI.

Do’s and Don’ts of Direct Mail Marketing

Find below some guidelines that can help you conduct better direct mail campaigns:

Do’s:

• Use a compelling call to action
• Pair your call to action with an exciting offer
• Add reviews and testimonials
• Test your market
• Segment your mailing lists
• Have clear mailing objectives

Don’ts:

• Print anything without proofreading
• Forget to ask your sales team to follow up
• Add too many details and words in your mail
• Forget to drive online traffic

Automating Direct Mail Marketing

Automated direct mail helps you get rid of the manual processes involved in direct mail marketing. For example, medical, real estate, educational, and insurance direct mail marketing can all become more manageable with automation.

You need not create, print, and mail items on your own. All you have to do is find an automated direct mail platform like PostGrid and let it handle everything.

Designing Items

Not all automated direct mail service providers offer design services. So, you should consider your needs before selecting the right vendor.

PostGrid has several pre-built templates to help you get your mail items designed in just a few minutes. This way, you can avoid hiring a designer and design your mail.

Printing Services

PostGrid has partnered up with several reputed printers across the country. Hence, you can get your items printed in high-quality at very reasonable rates.

By outsourcing your printing tasks, you can skip buying perishables like paper and ink. You also need not purchase a printer or let your employees spend days loading and unloading papers to print your marketing items.

Mailing Services

There is no longer the need to calculate postage, affix stamps on items, or carry them to the post office.

PostGrid takes care of all your mailing activities. We can help you presort and add barcodes to your mail helping you to track your items and avail of huge postal discounts.

PostGrid’s direct mail automation API can also help you:

• Track your mail items
• Get periodic campaign reports
• Integrate our API with your CRM for easy mailing

Direct Mail Vs. Digital Marketing

The direct mail vs. digital marketing debate has seen a lot of popularity in the past few years. Some companies claim that direct mail works the best for them, whereas others have solely committed to digital marketing.

As we said above, direct mail has a response rate of 9% and yet, digital marketing has a click-through rate of only 0.1%. Moreover, the average number of ads that a person sees every day is 5,000. So, in this scenario, it is easy for people to ignore emails and online display ads very quickly.

Talking about the ROI, direct mail gives an ROI of about 29%. On the other hand, digital marketing can generate an ROI of only 16%. It is because targeted digital marketing plans can cost a lot.

Also, there is a lot of flexibility for direct mail marketers. They can choose precisely whom to target, when to target, and how to target. But, things are way too complex with digital marketing as it does not offer a lot of flexibility.

Direct mail and email marketing can both be personalised. But, after receiving 100 emails per day, people tend to skip reading them and move them to the trash box.

Direct Mail Marketing FAQs

How Can Direct Mail Marketing Support My Business?

Direct mail marketing can help you reach your prospects and communicate about your brand. This way, you can generate more leads that can eventually convert into customers.

Do Personalised Direct Mail Items Work Better?

Yes, personalised direct mail items have a better shot at getting noticed. People like to be appreciated and special- making it essential to customize your items according to them. Moreover, it helps you convince them to buy from you.

What Are the Direct Mail Marketing Costs?

Direct mail marketing does not have to be expensive. You can start with a small campaign size and work your way up.

All costs depend on your campaign size, choice of mail items, type of mailing list, design, and copy.

Does PostGrid Offer All-In-One Direct Mail Services?

Yes, PostGrid can help you with all your direct mailing activities. From design and printing to mailing and tracking, you can use PostGrid for everything.

Also, we offer these services at competitive prices. There is no minimum pricing or commitment involved.

Want to conduct a productive direct mail marketing campaign at low costs? Try PostGrid’s print and mail API and platform to help you skip the manual effort and increase productivity.

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source https://www.postgrid.com.au/direct-mail-marketing/