Let's start with a reality check: 44% of Americans toss out unsolicited mail unopened. But before you trash the idea, check this stat: B2B direct mail is 37 times more effective than email.
How can that be true? Well, unlike an unwanted email that gets deleted in an instant, your mailer provides a few precious seconds when recipients hold it in their hands. And that's a good reason for integrated marketers to roll up their sleeves - and figure out how to get customers to open it. Here are a few thought starters.
This mail's got lumps.
Recently we looked at the power of lumpy mailers, which outperform standard direct mail letters by up to 300%. And there are lots more ways to think outside everyday approaches.
Create a surprise package.
Instead of (or in addition to) the expected letter, brochure and reply card,
try getting creative. How about a square box with an inflated balloon inside announcing a special sale? Or perhaps some other unique item that may have significant alignment with your products or services.
Go a little coconuts.
Did you know you can legally send a coconut through the mail? Buzzfeed reports that the United States Postal Service permits a coconut to be mailed without any additional packaging. Same thing goes for a lime. Or an orange. Even a potato.
Rock the mail!
Buzzfeed suggests hand-painting a design on a stone, labeling it, stamping it and shipping it! You can do likewise with a brick. (Perfect for covering all kinds of "weighty" matters!)
Share your bucket list - but don't forget the shovel.
Mail a plastic bucket and shovel to invite customers to a beach party. Or maybe a keychain with a small flip-flop, or a plastic toy.
Are you rushing to the mailbox yet?
It's true: The boundaries for direct mail are only limited by your imagination. So use yours - and make direct mail an integral and unexpected component in your integrated marketing campaign.
Last modified: January 25, 2018
