Content Development: 4 Tips on Improving Response Rates for Direct Mail and Email Campaigns

Getting right in front of your prospects is one of the easiest ways to gain their attention, which is why direct mail marketing and emarketing email strategies continue to offer a solid ROI. Both mail and email provide a direct line to current and former customers along with new prospects that have yet to try your business.

What you say in any direct communication can make or break a sale, as the person who receives it has only the information you have sent to initially go on. If recipients need to do extra work just to understand what you’re offering, you\’ve already lost a majority of them. Mail (and email to a certain extent) has a more personal feel than other forms of advertising.

To effectively implement direct mail or emarketing email strategies, be sure your campaign includes:

A specific name on the envelope or in the subject line, if possible. “Current resident” or “Shopper” are as impersonal as they get, and both make someone less likely to even open your mail.
A specific way for the customer to respond. Often referred to as the “call to action,” you need to tell the recipient the next step they should take. It could be calling for an appointment, sending back a reply envelope (include the postage) or visiting your website.
Something of value in return for their response. Trial offers and information booklets are traditional ways to provide value, but e marketing strategies allow you to offer ebooks and exclusive articles/content.
A time limit on any offer you are providing. If a recipient has from now until eternity to get back to you, they probably will never get around to it. But if an offer expires, they have a deadline to meet and are more likely to respond.

Creating the right campaign for specific segments of your target market can be intimidating — you may try testing small parts of the market with your direct mail or email campaign before implementing it across the board.