Appreciative notes can prove to be beneficial for a brand

In a recent report from The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) called the “2012 Response Rate Report,” a number of direct marketing trends were covered, which may help marketers create campaigns that generate higher response rates in the future.

However, the survey found that direct mail as a whole garners nearly 25 percent fewer responses today than nine years ago. While the significant drop may represent an evolving trend in the marketplace, direct mail still generates a better overall response than almost all other digital channels, making it a relevant platform to leverage today.

For example, the report shows that responses for direct mail averages 3.4 percent, compared to 0.12 percent for email. The impressive difference indicates that even in today’s extremely cluttered marketing sphere, paper documents often generate lucrative results.

Business owners may be unaware of just how beneficial direct mail marketing can be for building brand awareness, lead generation and nurturing and conversion rates. Creating a reputation in the marketplace requires regular engagement with prospective and current customers. This can be done across a variety of platforms, including social media networks and through print materials, all of which continue to keep a brand in the minds of buyers.

Direct mail services can be used for more than selling products or services to customers. In fact, many marketers often overlook the power of appreciative mailings to people who have recently purchased items from their brand. When a customer takes the time to invest in a product, they expect their purchase to be worthwhile – they want their problems solved. If the item you sell effectively complements their lives, they may appreciate their purchase, but they might not necessarily remember the brand that provided them the good. Therefore, marketers need to take proactive measures to make sure their customers aren’t one-time buyers, but loyal consumers who time and time again purchase materials to fix problems, improve their lifestyles or for entertainment purposes.

Appreciative notes are easy to construct and send to customers, and the impressions they leave on recipients can lead to future sales. In addition to increasing revenue streams through positive interactions, a quick “thank you” note can retain current customers and further solidify their loyalty to the brands they’ve enjoyed in the past. What’s more, marketers have unique opportunities to continue to advertise their services when they reach out and thank their past customers for recent purchases. A quick note will grab reader attention, but providing a freebie to each recipient, whether small tokens or incentive offers, can further improve business-to-consumer interactions.

It may be difficult to take the time out of each day to thank every customer who purchases a product. Fortunately, new technologies make direct mail easy to implement and distribute. Online interfaces like web to print allow professionals to create template designs for their mailings. The content printed on each article can be completely personalized online, and when the mailing is completed, digital printing services can take the final copy, print it effectively and distribute it to the right consumers in a timely manner.

Businesses can increase their response rates by improving the ways in which they engage with their customers. People don’t have to purchase items or services from a brand, so when they invest in a brand, even for the time being, it’s important for the company’s creative team to show appreciation. This type of marketing approach is a subtle way of building a reputation in the marketplace that surpasses the competition and improves the overall consumer experience.