There’s an old saying that reminds us “you have to spend money to make money” – but in the case of direct mail marketing, that’s only one part of a much more important story. Just because you’re able to spend a huge amount of cash on direct mail collateral doesn’t mean that you’re getting everything you could be in return. Indeed, the success of any campaign lives and dies based on its ROI – and if you really want to make sure that yours is as high as it can be, there are a few key things to keep in mind.

A Better ROI Awaits: Breaking Things Down

The most important thing you can do to improve your direct mail response rate actually involves something that must happen before the campaign actually begins. Sit down and consider your high-level objectives and make every decision thereafter with those ideas in mind.

So if you were just trying to help people become aware of your brand, for example, it would naturally require different steps than if you were trying to upsell someone who is already a customer on a new product you’ve just released. Start with your objectives, THEN work your way to the collateral. If you take that organic approach, your response rate will go through the roof.

Likewise, you need to understand the kinds of direct mail collateral that you can leverage based on where your customers currently are along their journey. Educational offers, for example, can be a perfect way to catch a POTENTIAL customer’s attention. If you want to maintain an existing relationship, send someone an offer for a discount off a future purchase or send them materials that will help them get the most out of the ones they’ve already made.

Don’t look at direct marketing as JUST an opportunity to make a single sale – that’s only a fraction of its full potential. If you maintain sight of the bigger picture – that direct mail is a way to continue to feed and nurture these important relationships – ROI won’t be something you have to worry about any longer.

If you’d like to find out more about how to make a better impact with your prospects and responders and send your direct mail ROI as high as it can go, or if you have any additional questions you’d like to see answered, please don’t delay – contact us today.