Direct-to-consumer retailers have a naturally more intimate experience with their target audience because there are fewer touch points between themselves and those sales they’re trying to amass. You don’t have to worry about wholesalers, distributors and other businesses – all that stands in between you and your consumer is the strength of your marketing campaign.
Yet, in the era of COVID-19 consumer spending has understandably experienced a decrease, and direct-to-consumer retailers may be among those struggling the most to keep their businesses afloat during these uncertain times.
Therefore, if you really want to drive sales with the most effective direct-to-consumer marketing campaign that you can, there are a number of key things you’ll want to keep in mind.
Drive Sales by Taking the Message Direct to Your Consumers
The medium of direct mail marketing is itself valuable because it offers something that digital alternatives cannot: authenticity. When you send out a well-thought-out and meticulously designed piece of collateral to showcase your retail business, it’s something that people can hold in their hands or pin up on their refrigerator. It’s “real” in a way that a fleeting email or social media ad can never be, which itself is a memorable way to make a lasting first impression and truly build customer loyalty.
To take that idea one step further, you need to make sure that the message you’re sending as a direct-to-consumer retailer is one worth paying attention to in the first place. You can take advantage of direct mail analytics, for example, by including an offer redemption code on your collateral to track both the response AND the overall return on investment of your campaigns. This is a perfect way to not only see what is working but, more importantly, what isn’t. That way, you put yourself in an excellent position to double down on the former and get rid of the latter as much as possible.
You should also be using this all as an opportunity to test your collateral whenever possible. Not just the messaging, but you can experiment with using different direct mail formats to see which one makes the best impression. For example, direct mail postcards with promotional “gift card” pop-outs entice consumers to interact with your collateral. You can try out subtle variations of designs and other elements on a smaller, targeted audience now and, once you find out which one has the effect you desire, you can roll that out to a far larger audience. It’s a great way to build brand awareness while letting your customers know you’re there for them during these difficult times, which means incredible things for your business’ recovery as time goes on.
So if you’re still interested in finding out more information about how direct-to-consumer retailers like yourself can drive stronger sales in the aftermath of COVID-19, or if you’re just eager to learn about all the other unbeatable opportunities that direct mail represents, please don’t delay – contact us today.
