These days, just about everyone is online. But it is also true that direct mail prospecting works, and many companies have had success in reaching out via snail mail to prospective clients and customers. After all, who doesn't love getting real mail among all that mail filler? And that delivery can help signify the value of your brand beyond the digital realm, giving you another opportunity to reach out and connect with someone.
For those that are doing well finding clients online, direct mail solutions may seem like a step backwards. Sure, there are direct mail companies and direct mail services out there that can help dial in those B2B direct mail ideas, but none of your marketing efforts occur in a vacuum. Instead, direct mail prospecting and digital prospecting should be thought of as two sides of the same coin. The success you have digitally doesn't mean you should completely abandon direct mail best practices, and that means keeping an eye on opportunities that can augment your existing digital marketing efforts.
What Is Direct Mail Prospecting?
Simply put, direct mail prospecting means sending printed materials or gifts directly to potential clients. That can include sending postcards, brochures, newsletters, pamphlets or any kind of marketing material via regular mail where it will land in a mailbox and help you communicate important information to your prospects.
In the past marketers have soured on direct mail prospecting because of the sheer volume of junk mail that existed, nowadays, people are much more likely to get countless amounts of junk mail in their email boxes while their regular mailboxes have significantly less. That can make it easier to grab attention in the physical world since everyone's digital attention span is lower than ever.
Besides, direct mail prospecting is just more personal. Instead of sending some kind of digital message that will likely go unread or ignored, a nice letter or a message or even a gift can go a long way towards calling attention to what it is that you have to offer, as well as establishing a relationship between you and the recipient.
Stand Out With Direct Mail Prospecting
It may sound like you'll be spending a small fortune to connect in the physical world, digital mail prospecting is cheaper than you may think. Historically, printed materials have been prohibitively expensive, but newer printing technologies and direct mail techniques are cheaper than ever, making direct mail a viable option in today's world. Better yet, when combined with your existing digital marketing initiatives, it can represent a one-two punch that can supercharge your holistic marketing efforts.
But the best part about direct mail prospecting is that it helps you stand out amid all that digital noise. Between email, Slack, Zoom and the other daily assaults on our time, it can be nice to get a personalized message in the real world. And when combined with a digital followup, that can help further emphasize your brand or offer, as well as giving multiple opportunities for prospective clients to respond or take you up on it.
For example, if you have a great whitepaper available on your website, you can send a printed version to your most interesting prospects, allowing them to read it offline. Compared to reading the same material on a screen, that may give a greater likelihood of more beneficial attention, all because you bothered to send out a piece of direct mail. Even if you want to keep things short and sweet with a simple LinkedIn message and a postcard that explains more about your brand, it's easy to augment your digital prospecting with direct mail prospecting.
Make Your Messaging Memorable
In today's digital world, most messages go unread, if they're even acknowledged at all. It's a simple fact of modern life that there are far too many messages out there for even the most well intentioned person to adequately read and digest. Often, a prospect may give a glancing look at your message and never get back to it. And when that digital message slips down, it'll likely never be seen again.
With direct mail, it's much more common to get someone to open that message, and that means better brand awareness even if the content is not read by the recipient. Then, the next time they come across a message or ad online or off, they'll be more aware and cognizant of your efforts. Because the message is real and exists, they'll have to physically look at it and dispose of it if they'd like, and that's far more than you can expect from most digital messaging.
Augment Your Prospecting With Direct Mail
An offer that arrives in the mail is much more tangible and visible than another ad while scrolling or an email that may end up in a junk folder or go unread. While many businesses have shifted to online coupon codes and other approaches that mimic the offline experience, only direct mail gives them everything they need at a glance. Forget about hoping they click through and that they see the offer -- direct mail prospecting puts everything they need right in front of them so that a decision can be made.
Add testimonials, pictures and informative content on your direct mail efforts just like you would online, but get the full benefits of direct mail prospecting by sending out physical messages. Unlike ads or direct messages, it won't suddenly disappear if your prospect gets a call or has to rush off to their next meeting. The mail will still be right where they left it, and that's more than you can say about digital messaging.
Furthermore, direct mail prospecting allows you to dial up your brand with logos, imagery and colors that you often can't use in digital messaging. That can help your message carry greater value and have more of an impact when it's seen, and that can be an invaluable addition to your overall marketing efforts.
Direct Mail Prospecting With SalesHive
If you're ready to augment your digital marketing with direct mail, start with the direct mail prospecting experts at SalesHive. We can help you flatter your top prospects with custom direct mail intended to elicit a reaction and turn that attention into a meeting. We'll do it all, including finding the prospect, preparing the message and sending it out along with a snazzy gift -- even following up once they've received it. Get started today!