5 Tips for Improving Direct Mail Response Rate

With direct mail marketing, the ultimate goal is to get a solid response rate. Inevitably, not everyone who receives a postcard or other advertisement from you will be interested. An average response rate is about 0.5% to 2%, but it can be a lot higher with the right tactics.

High response rates can be achieved with the right focus, and these 5 tips will help you get there.

Tip #1: Focus on Design
If your advertisement is badly designed, the people receiving it may find their eyes slipping right over it. A good mailer should have an eye catching design, that clearly showcases what is being offered.

Make sure your advertisement has a compelling headline, a clear call to action, and great imagery. These will help you in getting people to follow your request.

Tip #2: Put a Time Limit On It
If there’s no incentive to take action right away, it’s easy to stack that interesting looking ad with other papers and forget all about it. A time limit gives potential customers an incentive to take action right away, before that advertisement gets lost.
Contests and limited time offers are great examples of time limits that incentivize people to take action right away.

Tip #3: Use Exciting Testimonials
How does a potential client know using your company will make them happy? Even if they need a new roof and you happen to be a roofing company, that doesn’t mean they know the new roof you put on won’t leak.
Testimonials from satisfied customers can help other potential clients see what other people think of your company. By sharing their rave reviews, you help those reading your advertisement see that other people were satisfied with your service.

Tip #4: Make Sure You’re On The Right List
There are different direct mail options for different kinds of business. If you have a local business, it won’t do you much good to have a mailer sent to people on the other side of the country. Local businesses best benefit from zip code specific mailing lists.
Other types of lists include business lists, for B2B based businesses, lists targeting people new to the area, and lists aimed at people with specific career choices such as dentists or doctors.

The right list can make a big difference in how well received your new mailer is.

Tip #5: Add As Much Value As Possible?
If a client is looking for a new lawncare service, and got three different mailers about it—who would they choose?
Adding your best offers to the mailer can help make them see the value of your particular service. If you offer special services other lawncare services might not have, this is a good time to mention it. If you have special military discounts, again this is a great time to showcase that.

When you bring your very best message to a direct mail service, you can get that message out to the audience you want, and people will respond.