When you were a child, getting mail was an exhilarating experience. You were so happy to just to get a piece of mail. But as you grew older and realized that most of the mail addressed to you comprised bills and unsolicited advertisements, the joy of physical mail wore off. This happened to everyone, and marketers' challenge is to come up with ideas to increase conversion rates again.
However, when you do go check your mailbox and find a piece of mail not from your credit card company or bank, your child-like enthusiasm for mail returns. Whether it’s a postcard from your dentist or a letter from your mother, physical mail stands out.
In an age of canned emailed responses, direct mail is a way to stand out to your customers. To get the leg up on your competition and effectively use direct mail in your growth engine, here are nine direct mail ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Hey! You got someone to pay. That’s an awesome feeling, so let your new customer know how you feel! Every time a new customer pays, this action can trigger an outgoing postcard, thanking your customer for their business. This can be great for both ecommerce or SaaS customers.
Getting a stranger from the internet to sign up for your free trial is a great step towards a sale. But converting that trial user into a paying customer can be difficult. Many times people will sign up to test a product but never log in again. If you offer the typical 14 or 30 day trial, use direct mail to give inactive trial accounts a nudge before their trial expires.
If you’re running a SaaS business, one of your most important metrics is churn. High churn kills growth. To combat churn, use direct mail to combat when you anticipate a customer might churn. This can be based on inactivity or just the average lifetime of a customer. Just before you expect a customer to churn out, automatically send them a piece of mail to remind them how delightful your service is or offer resources for customer success.
One great way to increase revenue is by simply getting your existing customers to pay more. Send a loyal customer a piece of mail that let’s them know the benefits of an account upgrade. If you know how long it takes before your customers upgrade, this will help make your trigger and mail more relevant and effective.
In the case of e-commerce, a customer might make a purchase but then not come back for months. Increase the lifetime value of your existing customers with strategic promos sent directly to their homes.
The most trusted source for new product recommendations are from your friends. Sometimes it’s because someone asked for a product recommendation, other times it’s because your friend had the most enjoyable experience with a brand they couldn’t help themselves but to share.
Give your customers a reason to share your product or service with their friends. Delight them with a physical piece of mail that embodies their overall experience with your brand. Further incentivize them with a referral code so that their friend can get a discount.
Large, enterprise sales are a long process. It takes months and multiple stakeholders to buy in and sign off on the deal. Many deals don’t make it past the first gatekeepers. Stand out among the crowd by automatically sending physical mail to a new lead that’s entered into your CRM system.
Early interactions with a free trial user are key. If a new user takes the time to submit a customer service ticket, it’s likely they’re more serious about understanding your product than a casual signup. This person want answers; they’re looking to make a decision.
After you’ve closed the support ticket, send a follow up piece of mail. This could include answers to questions typically asked by customers that convert. Keep these trial users engaged and equipped with all the information they need to make an informed purchase.
Events are great marketing experiences, whether it’s a speaker series at your office or full-blown conference vent. Follow up with people who actually attended your event with a physical piece of mail to continue the conversation with your brand and turn that interest into a quality lead.
In an increasingly digital world, direct mail can be an afterthought. We can get so caught up trying to optimize experiences online, we forget that we’re selling to real people, who live in the real world. User experience doesn’t just mean the size of a “buy now” button on a webpage. It can be something that you touch and feel.
That’s the opportunity direct mail offers companies looking to increase conversion rates. It’s also an opportunity that’s not effectively implemented by many companies. Strategic direct mail campaigns, like these nine ideas, can actually increase your online business’ conversion rates and increase revenue. Direct mail can very easily connect the on and offline worlds; which increases your number of marketing touch points. The higher rate of frequency in which a potential customer engages with your brand will bring them closer to a sale. Imagine how you can grow your business with a direct mail campaign!
