August 30, 2007

As I sit here trying to power through all of my work, I stare at my growing pile of unopened mail in a lonely corner of my desk. I wonder if I'm the only marketer who doesn't open, much less read, my mail? They're all sorts of trade publications or promotional pieces trying to get me to buy their particular service/product. I give my new mail a quick skim, pick out the high priority items, and chuck the rest in that pile.

So what does compel me to open/read a piece of direct mail? It will grab me if 1) it's a clever piece of marketing or 2) it clearly targets my marketing concerns. For example, the piece may be a unique form factor or scream "lead generation ideas!"

Then once I've read the piece, what compels me to actually visit their landing page? If they just point me to their general URL then I won't bother. I'll go to the landing page if they mention an offer of some type (doesn't have to be a physical giveaway, could just be promise of more valuable information) or an intriguing URL. For example, they may be offering an interesting whitepaper or point me to a URL like "/marketersonly".

A direct mail piece that is complemented with an email that is consistent in messaging and branding will also increase the chances of getting me to take any action. Direct mail is such an expensive venture that I'm not sure why marketers don't just focus on email? I'd say the competition for attention for both media is fairly even anyway. Email is just so much cheaper, and you get instant responses.

I dread the Christmas holidays when all the cards start coming in....

Posted by Thao Ngo at August 30, 2007

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