It’s no secret that traditional ways of advertising are making a comeback in today’s modern world driven by technology. In a world filled with sales emails, website ads, and social media sponsored posts, it can be increasingly hard to get your marketing message into the hands of your customers and prospects.  Direct Mail is still one of the most popular and effective ways to reach people offline when done correctly.

Make sure to dodge these 4 common mistakes before sending your next campaign in the mail:

1. Using the wrong list. Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make is to use the wrong mailing list. Are you trying to educate your current customers on a new product or service you offer? This is the perfect time to use that in-house list you have been building. It costs 5 times more to capture a new customer than to retain a current one! Are you trying to capture the attention of prospects? Purchase a list that will be sure to get you results with specific demographics based on your target audience. Too many people send out mailings, receive no response, and wonder why. Make sure your list is current and targeted to clients who will use your product and/or services.
2. Crappy Data. Clean those lists! When was the last time you took your in-house list and purchased lists and ran them against the National Change of Address (NCOA) software to update addresses for anyone that has moved within the past 48 months? Your lists should also be CASS certified which helps increase the accuracy of addresses to ensure a more successful delivery of your mail.  Even the best list can also include duplicate names and addresses, deceased or incarcerated people or others that you don’t want to mail to from your DO NOT MAIL LIST! By cleaning things up, you can save yourself a GREAT deal of money in printing and postage!
3. Missing a call to action. The purpose of sending a mailer is to encourage the intended recipient to act in some way. What do you want them to do? Go to your website? Call? Email? Visit your location for an event? Buy something? Whatever it is, make sure you have a very clear call to action on your piece to ensure the recipient will respond. Don’t make too many calls to action on the piece either! Know your audience and create a piece that will appeal to them and get them to respond!
4. Being too generic. Speak to the individual and not the general audience. Find ways to personalize your marketing mail pieces. Use variable information to greet people by name and use other personalized info that would connect with them. Use images that would be appealing. When someone feels as if you understand them and their specific needs, they feel more connected and comfortable trusting you with their business.

If you make sure to use the right list with updated data and create a personalized mailer that has an amazing yet simple call to action, you will have a greater chance at a successful direct mail marketing campaign! Avoiding the above mistakes will ensure you save time and money in the beginning. But remember, these tips are only to help get you moving in the right direction. You still need to create a visually appealing design and integrate it with your other marketing efforts. Don’t forget to test what works, track your response and create some type of follow up plan.

Are you guilty of making any of these mistakes? Comment below and share any useful tips!