The Different Types of Direct Mail and How You Can Use Them

Some might say that traditional mail is a thing of the past, but the truth is that many people still rely on the so-called "snail mail" to pay their bills and receive offers they might not be exposed to otherwise. By completely disregarding this avenue of marketing, you're blocking yourself off from thousands of potential customers.

Of course, effective direct mail marketing campaigns need to be carefully thought out and have a touch of creativity. In fact, they should be even more creative than your digital marketing efforts, as you need to catch someone's attention before your letters end up getting thrown in the recycling bin along with other advertisements.

Before getting down to business and drafting your direct mailing campaigns, you need to know the different types of direct mail and choose the one that suits your business's profile the most. In this article, we'll take you through the five most effective types of direct mail marketing formats. By the time you're done reading, you'll have a clearer idea of which one you should go with.

What is Direct Mail Marketing?

Direct mail marketing is all about reaching out to your potential customers right in their mailboxes. Unlike social media or email marketing, direct mail gives you a chance to leave a lasting impression on people by sending them a physical reminder of your business and the great deals you offer.

Since it revolves around physical correspondence, your direct mail needs to hit the sweet spot between piquing your target audience's curiosity and annoying them. Regardless of which format you end up choosing, your advertisement should encourage individuals to seek out your business, instead of thinking of it as a pesky company that always leaves flyers in their mailbox. A good way to do it is by offering exclusive discounts, redeemable only if they show up to your establishment with your direct mail ad in hand or make an order using a code printed onto it.

On the other hand, you shouldn't reveal too much in your ad. Include enough information to help people understand what your company is all about, but at the same time, leave them wanting more information. A good direct mail advertisement is intriguing: it gets people to follow up on what they've read by either visiting your website or directly heading over to your establishment.

Below, you can find the five types of direct mail that have proven to be effective with a variety of different audiences in all sorts of markets.

Dimensional Mailers

A dimensional mailer is the only kind of three-dimensional direct mail, meaning that instead of an envelope or a single sheet of paper, it comes in a box or package. Dimensional mailers are highly effective in B2B and influencer marketing. They tend to contain free giveaways, such as samples of your products or promotional gadgets. Alongside these freebies, you might want to include a letter addressed directly to the company or individual who will be receiving your package, as well as some other, more conventional marketing materials.

Given the higher cost of dimensional mailers compared to other direct mail methods, businesses that use them as part of their marketing campaigns generally tend to carefully select their target audience and only send a few such packages per year.

Letters

This is an umbrella term that lumps together any kind of direct mail advertising that comes packaged in an envelope. If you work in finance or law, letters are generally the best way to acquire new customers via direct mail. As the name suggests, they are meant to generate leads, which can then be converted to sales more easily.

People like to receive letters addressed specifically to them. The whole ritual of ripping apart an envelope to see what it contains generates a certain degree of excitement, making your target audience more likely to follow up on your offer.

Self-Mailers

The self-mailers category includes brochures, newsletters, and booklets. They tend to be much more colorful and eye-catching than lead letters. Even if your company's aesthetic is more toned down, you still need to design them in a way that captures the reader's attention for more than a few seconds. If you don't want to use too many colors, try to play around with the fonts and images included in the design.

One of the best self-mailer formats is coupon booklets. They usually contain a number of different discounts applicable to different products or on certain days of the year. People are much more likely to keep coupons, so choosing coupon booklets is a good way to ensure that your direct mail advertisement won't get thrown away in a matter of minutes.

Postcards / Every Door Direct Mail®

Who doesn't like to receive postcards? Even if they're just from a random business rather than a loved one, a card with a large, captivating image can work wonders on your target audience, helping them remember your company for quite some time. On top of that, it is probably the most cost-effective type of direct mail out there. Always remember to include key information about your business and its flagship products at the back of the card. The most popular way to mail postcards (and acquire new customers with direct mail) is by using Every Door Direct Mail - an easy and affordable way to reach entire neighborhoods.

Catalogs

If you are in the business of selling goods, then catalogs might just be what you need to take your company to the next level. Most commonly associated with the clothing industry, catalogs are also often utilized by luxury and electronics retailers, and even supermarkets. 

They look a bit like magazines, and just like in the case of self-mailers, you should make sure that the design of your catalog leaves a lasting impression on your potential customers, encouraging them to dive deeper into its pages. Alongside showcasing your products and your current deals, you might also want to write up a few one-page articles related to your industry for people to spend more time with the catalog.

The Bottom Line

Direct mail marketing is a cost-effective way to enlarge your customer base, provided that you do a fair amount of research beforehand and put a lot of effort into the design process. Get creative with your small booklets, postcards, and other mail pieces to increase the likelihood of your campaign's success. 

If you're looking for a place to start designing your perfect campaign, reach out to us! At Taradel, we can provide you with a platform that helps you handle the entire process - from narrowing down your target audience through designing and launching your campaign, all the way to analyzing its effectiveness.