Use the right methods of targeting for direct mail marketing

One of the most effective ways for businesses to reach out to new and existing companies is by properly targeting the materials they send. Generalized campaigns can work to some extent by raising general awareness of an organization, brand or line of products. Unfortunately, the returns for such efforts are rarely as effective as when some level of personalization or optimization has been performed on direct mail marketing materials.

That’s why customer relationship management (CRM) software and similar products have become popular. Even without the software, companies should make some effort to put themselves in the shoes of the people who are receiving advertisements. Here are some methods for targeting that can be very successful when properly applied.

Contextual targeting
This strategy essentially asks companies to look at the nature of the products being sold and to imagine how customers may go about buying them. This is especially important when one realizes how empowering the internet has been for consumers. For example, very few people spend a great deal of time thinking about and researching paper towels. A lot of what determines which brand a person chooses comes down to awareness of different producers, the price and what’s easily available.

Conversely, electronics are often heavily researched. At the very least, impressions from friends and family will play a role in the decision of which MP3 player or smartphone to buy. The marketing materials used for these products should reflect this difference of purchasing patterns. For paper towels or similar simple products, simply raise awareness and point toward the price and ease of access. Include more detailed specifications and figures when discussing complicated equipment.

Behavioral targeting
A direct mail marketing campaign made with behavioral targeting taken into account will mostly concern itself with how a person would actually go about buying something. For instance, people who can easily purchase a certain over-the-counter medication at a local drugstore won’t be swayed by mail offers when they can simply drive down the road and pick some up with very little hassle. On the other hand, a person who habitually buys relatively obscure DVDs will have probably established a pattern for doing so before direct mail items were sent to her.

For print campaigns to work in such contexts, they need to directly address the ways that customers usually buy certain products. Offer bulk discounts on things that are easy to purchase, and sing the praises of the inventory and quality of more obscure items.

Retargeting
Regular customers can usually be relied upon to provide consistent sales and some relatively steady income, so it’s important not to tinker with them too much. However, it is sometimes a good idea to engage in retargeting with a company’s direct mail marketing campaigns, since this can possibly double the amount of revenue a company sees.

Retargeting is based on the idea that existing customers can be treated as new clients if they’re targeted with new materials for new products and services. It also takes into account the fact that certain types of people will like similar items to those in which they’ve already demonstrated an interest. Think about diversifying what’s offered to consumers in a way that will resonate with what they’ve done in the past.