3 Winning Direct Mail Campaign Ideas You Can Start Using Today

We're proud to inform you that the reports of the supposed death of direct mail have been, as Mark Twain once said, "greatly exaggerated."

Our firm Duplicates INK - marketSMART has been helping businesses achieve their goals by creating effective engaging affordable campaigns that leverage traditional print.  Our team is not composed of a bunch of magicians and we do NOT sell Snake Oil.  We are proud that when we partner with a new client we take ownership in the project.  We want it to work sometimes more than the client themselves.  We know this, when we create and execute a campaign, the success of the campaign is critical in determining our future with the client.

Not only is direct mail just as effective as it ever was - it's positively thriving. According to one recent study, the market for direct mail advertising is anticipated to grow from $71.57 billion in 2021 to a massive $72.67 billion by the end of 2022. Much of this has to do with the average return on investment for direct mail collateral is $4.09 for every $1.27 you spend getting those marketing materials out into the world.

But it can be challenging to know where to begin if you've been out of the direct mail world for a while or are wading into these proverbial waters for the first time. With that in mind, here are three winning direct mail campaign ideas that you can start using immediately.

3 Winning Direct Mail Campaign Ideas You Can Start Using Today

Taking Advantage of the Holidays

One of the best direct mail marketing campaign ideas you can start using immediately involves taking advantage of the holiday season - a time of year that is already upon us again.

Remember that while part of the goal of any marketing campaign is always to raise awareness for your brand and get the word out about your products and services, this is just one small portion of a much larger story.

Equally important is your ability to get in touch with people occasionally and simply remind them that you're out there. Because of that, don't hesitate to send out a simple postcard for Christmas or the New Year to wish people well. It doesn't have to be overly "salesy" at all - it can be a simple message that illustrates that you care about your consumers, even when you're not coming right out and asking them to buy something.

When executed correctly, you'd be surprised by the difference this can make in generating repeat sales from existing, satisfied customers.

The Benefit of Unusually Sized Mail

Another technique that you can use with direct mail, in particular, has to do with sending out unusually sized mail.

Think about it - part of why messages like emails are so easy to ignore is that they all blend together in someone's mind. They all look the same, and they're far too easy to archive when someone is wading through their email inbox in the morning.

But if you send out a piece of direct mail collateral that is slightly larger or shaped differently than every other piece of mail that someone receives that day, they're going to notice. You immediately stand out, and at that point, you can use someone's curiosity to your advantage.

Bridging the Gap Between Direct Mail and the Digital World

Finally, don't be afraid to bring the benefits of both direct mail collateral and digital marketing together in innovative ways.

Always include information about the various social media channels you use, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, which are great for allowing someone to get in touch with you in other ways quickly. This way, you can begin an experience with them through physical mail but give them the option to continue it over the Internet if that is their preference. 

If you'd like to find out more information about getting started today with any of these direct mail campaigns, or if you have any additional questions you'd like to go over with someone in a bit more detail, please don't delay - contact our team today! 

Duplicates INK - marketSMART is a leading marketing firm that specializes in print.  We have led the industry leveraging traditional mediums by integrating complimenting digital strategies creating a true affordable and effective omni-channel solution for our clients.   Reach out to day for a free consultation 843-248-2574 or visit our marketSMART page at https://bit.ly/dupdirectmail

#directmail #duplicatesink #marketsmart #omnichannelmarketing #marketing

Our team at Duplicates INK have come up with 7 Top Tips to Get Creative With Offline Marketing

At Duplicates INK - marketSMART we strive to maximize your investment in marketing? 

Utilize unique offline marketing techniques to get people's attention!

There are countless ideas for getting inspired with offline marketing, from traditional to off-the-wall. Take what you can and let it spur some creativity in your minds. 

7 Top Tips to Get Creative With Offline Marketing

1. Get Creative With Your Business Card 

A business card is often the first impression, and you want to make it last.

Try printing it vertically, adding rounded corners, or creating a die-cut image. Use bold colors that stand out against the competition.

2. Hold In-Person Events 

According to the Event Marketing 2018 Report, 95% of marketers agree that live events give attendees a valuable opportunity to form in-person connections in an increasingly digital world.

Give people a chance to talk to you and others from your company, and create bonds that will last a lifetime. 

Don't forget to have flyers, rack cards, brochures, and business cards ready for them to pick up.  

3. Volunteer 

Join volunteer organizations that will introduce you to other professionals who desire to help the community.

By getting out in the community, you will get your name out and help you build connections. Bring along your business cards so you can have some conversations about where you work and get information on others. 

4. Build Loyalty With Rewards

While investing in attracting new customers, don't neglect opportunities for retaining existing ones.

Give away fun gifts with your logo: magnets, flashlights, Frisbees, T-shirts, mugs, water bottles, and more. These will keep the magic going after the sales call is over. 

5. Create a Game

Use a tailor-made BINGO card that leads them around the store, then leads to a prize if they get BINGO.

Have signs to advertise your newest game. Invite everyone to play and win prizes. 

6. Go Head-To-Head With the Competition

Don't be afraid to promote your items over the competition.

If it makes sense, have a "taste test" as Coke and Pepsi did in the 1980s. Let the audience decide what items they like better. 

Be sure to have flyers made up to announce this event to let people know when it will be.

7. Take On Speaking Engagements 

Speaking at events puts you in front of your target audience and makes you an expert.

A speaking engagement puts you in front of a highly targeted and interested audience already primed and ready to pay attention to what you have to say.

It creates you as the go-to person for answers, which is a great position.

Take time to evaluate the best creative way to reach your customers. We all have an overflowing inbox. Instead, try something fresh and offline to capture your customer's attention. 

When you want to make a statement offline, try some freshly printed marketing materials. That's where we step in! 

We have what you need to make some fresh imprints on your customers. Contact us today!

Duplicates INK - marketSMART  843-248-2574
info@duplicatesink.com

#duplicatesink #marketsmart #marketingtips #offlinemarketing

Deadlines? We eat them for Breakfast!!!! Why Duplicates INK is so good at WOWING Clients.

One KEY trait that most successful businesses share is that the entire TEAM understands, believes and embraces their Company's Uniqueness.

Since 1991 Duplicates INK - marketSMART has constantly been evolving while staying laser focused on one of our Unique Traits.  This unique trait is how we are OBSESSED with meeting or beating deadlines.  In some cases unrealistic Deadlines.  Learn more about what makes Duplicates INK so special HERE. 

A few words of wisdom.   

Some are lucky enough to have natural organization skills; others have to work at managing their time in order to work quickly and efficiently.

In general, organization will help manage your time, and it will also ease the stress of having deadlines. Having a clear-cut plan with driven direction will help conquer any and all deadlines thrown your way.

We thought it would be fun to share with you our take on the importance of organization when meeting deadlines.   I hope you enjoy.

Prioritizing is Key

Larger projects that have a quicker deadline should be the ones you’re working on first.

Many people want to put off larger projects because they seem intimidating. Make a plan to break down the larger projects into smaller ones and accomplish one at a time.

Conquering smaller projects at a time will seem less intimidating and less stressful. Sometimes you might be working diligently on a project and -- in the middle of it -- get thrown a project that has a quicker deadline. Dropping the current project can be hard to do but is necessary for meeting deadlines.

Identify Your Productive Time and Use It

If you’re a morning person and motivated with a cup of coffee to start your day, use the morning to accomplish those intimidating tasks.

Or if you’re more motivated in the afternoon, then use that time. Working within your productive time will help keep you on track and get important tasks accomplished. In the less productive times, concentrate on checking emails and doing research -- the things that ease your brain.

Another key to factor into your productive time is making sure that time is uninterrupted. Set aside time that you know will be quiet to work on things, and make sure that time is within your productive time of the day. Fewer interruptions will help keep your focus streamlined.

Embrace the Lists

The largest benefit to writing your lists on paper is the gratification of checking things off.

Once an item is checked off as complete, your brain realizes that it doesn’t need to think about that anymore. This can relieve the stress of feeling like your to-do list is never-ending. Writing it down shows you that there is an end to the list and will keep you focused on what’s important.

Keeping these things in mind will create an efficient and stress-free atmosphere when working on projects and meeting important deadlines. If organization is not your cup of tea, working with someone who is organized can help balance your routine.

Strategic Alignment

Have you ever been in a situation where you, or someone you know, completed a project that just didn't seem possible when considering the time and resources needed?  But somehow it happened.  When asked "How in the world did they get it done?"   the answer commonly used is "The Stars must have been Aligned"  a simple phrase meaning "I don't have any idea how but we did".

I've found along my journey in business that creating strategic alignments with complementing businesses provides me with an arsenal of Unique Traits which ultimately allows our team at Duplicates INK - marketSMART to provide our clients an incredible Strategic Partner.  This Strategic Alignment has resulted in many "I don't know...the stars must have been aligned" responses.   

Our team at Duplicates INK - marketSMART take all deadlines serious and with priority status.  Just see for yourself.  Next time you have an impossible deadline give us a Call we eat deadlines for breakfast.

Duplicates INK - marketSMART
info@duplicatesink.com
www.duplicatesink.com
843-248-2574

6 Winning Direct Mail Campaigns

One of the most common questions we receive at Duplicates INK - marketSMART is.......

"Does Direct Mail still work?"  the simple straightforward truthful answer is 

YES!

Direct mail offers results that other channels just can't match.

***BONUS at the end of this article***

According to a recent study, direct mail has a response rate as high as 9%. However, there are always ways to engage your audience better and improve your mailers' effectiveness. These methods below catch your recipents' attention and increase the chances that they'll read and respond to your direct mail piece. 

6 Winning Direct Mail Campaigns

1. Instill Curiosity with a Quiz

Do you worry your direct mail envelopes are going in the trash unread?

Take a page from Harvard Medical School's playbook. In a recent mailing to woo subscribers for their Harvard Heart Letter newsletter, they put a heart health quiz on the front. The answers to the three-question quiz were inside the mailer, giving recipients a reason to open.

2. Benefits, Not Features

As marketers, it's so easy to get caught up in promoting all the neat features of your product.

Your readers, however, don't care about that. They care about how your product can be of benefit to them.

HelloFresh hit the mark with a February 2020 mailer that highlighted three big benefits to ordering their kits. At a glance, readers could see that the service could save them time, save them money, and offer more variety.

3. Leverage Testimonials

Research shows that a recommendation, whether from a friend or a stranger, has a lot of sway on reader opinions.

In fact, 70% of people will trust a recommendation even when it comes from someone who they don't know. 

Florida Gulf Coast University used the power of testimonials by putting recommendations from past students right on their mailing postcard. Having names, faces, and a glowing recommendation from current students helped convince potential attendees that the school is a good choice. 

4. Use the Magic Word

No, not "please." The powerful word that gets your mailer a second look instead of a quick trip to the recycle bin is "free." 

A March 2020 mailer from Estee Lauder catches attention with bright coloration and a prominent offer for a free gift when people visit their counter inside Macy's. Offering a gift is a way to get people inside your brick-and-mortar location, where there is an increased chance that they'll take the opportunity to buy.

5. Catch the Eye with Familiar Forms and Images

When Nestle was promoting their Kit Kat Chunky bar in the UK, they used a familiar image -- a Royal Mail card about an undeliverable package.

However, instead of the normal reasons for failure to deliver, recipients learn that the free chocolate bar Nestle intended to send them was "too chunky" to fit through their mail slot. The mailer served as a coupon to get a free bar to try from the store.

6. Invite Recipients to Interact with Your Mail Piece

To raise awareness for World Water Day in Belgium, the organization demonstrated the importance of water in an innovative way.

They sent a postcard that could only be read after the reader held it under running water. This tactile trick increased engagement and also got the group a viral bump on social media.

No matter what your business, it's possible to catch readers' eyes and attention with your direct mail pieces. Think about how to evoke your recipient's curiosity, which can lead to engagement and conversion.

For over 30 Years the team at Duplicates INK - marketSMART has helped clients achieve unheard of results because we have a system that works.  This winning system is rather simple and is only 10 steps.

We are making this system available as a workbook for you to execute your very own winning Direct Mail Campaign

Download your FREE 10 Steps to Success Workbook Here

10 Steps to Success with Direct Mail Workbook

 

www.duplicatesink.com
843-248-2574
info@duplicatesink.com

 

Incredible One-Liners: Crafting a Magical Sentence to Grow Your Business

Our life is made with words.

Words create worlds – not only physical worlds but the worlds we perceive. From naming your children to articulating a political platform, words speak life and shape reality.

In marketing, often you have just one chance to get your message right. When you have someone’s attention, can you quickly and dramatically communicate ideas? That’s where a strong one-liner can make all the difference! A one-liner is a concise statement you can use to spark curiosity and clearly explain what you offer.

Here are three steps for building a one-liner that makes people lean in and take interest:

Step 1: Articulate the Problem

When you’re inviting customers into your story, always start with a problem.

The problem is the hook. If a story doesn’t have a problem, the story never gets started. When shaping your one-liner, start by stating the problem or pain point your clients face. Make sure the first statement in your pitch is a clear problem that people actually experience. Something like this:

• A: Most parents get stressed when they think of taking their kids to the dentist . . .
• B: With 110 people moving to Nashville every day, people are wasting more and more time sitting in traffic . . .

Step 2: Preview the Solution

After you open a story loop, your customer is ready to hear about a solution.

Here comes the reveal! After you’ve grown anticipation about the problem, turn the corner by offering a remedy. This can be as simple as naming your business or presenting the product itself. Here are a few examples:

• A: At Kid’s Teeth, our fun and welcoming office puts kids at ease . . .
• B: With a Circuit E-bike fitted just for you . . .

Step Three: Describe the Result

Like the climax of the opera, the third part of your one-liner should release the tension you initially created.

When you write the solution part of your one-liner, try to articulate the final result a customer will experience: something tangible people can see, feel, or count. For example:

• A: Our fun and welcoming office puts kids at ease so that they aren’t afraid and their parents actually enjoy their dentist visit.
• B: With a Circuit E-bike fitted just for you, you’ll get hours back in your day and arrive at work promptly.

Snag New Customers

There is no hammer, no chisel, and no generator more powerful than the spoken word.

Once you’ve perfected your one-liner, put it on the back of your business card, print it on the wall in your retail space, and memorize it for your next elevator pitch. Cast your bait far and wide and reel in great results!

Here is one of our One Liners

Most companies never know how many visitors to their website were generated through their direct mail marketing efforts, until NOW!  Our latest technology we call marketSMART2.0 tracks each and every engagement from your direct mail campaign as well as your digital campaigns.  Let me show you how it works.  Check it out here and get a complimentary Digital Report on "The Future of Marketing is NOW"  Download yours here.  

Any help you need for marketing your business, event, product or service, give our expert marketers a call at Duplicates INK - marketSMART - 843-248-2574   or visit us at www.duplicatesink.com  - info@duplicatesink.com

 

Diversifying with Direct Mail

Direct mail is the steady hand every digital marketing campaign needs to boost performance

December 17, 2020

By Christopher Karpenko

Tera Vector/Getty Images

Marketing has always been about getting the right message to the right people at the right time, no matter the medium.

Digital tactics, such as social media, online search, display ads, and email, have added layers of precision to this tried-and-true mission. They allow marketers to home in on the best message for their target audience and automate delivery timing for optimal exposure.

Rather than putting more resources and energy into the same digital channels and hoping that results will improve, marketers should try sistering digital tactics with physical ones.Some of these digital channels perform well across the customer journey, helping brands build awareness and consideration, influence conversions, and earn loyalty. But many others see drop-offs in effectiveness at various stages. In fact, a 2019 report by London Research and dotdigital shows that social media is highly effective for building brand awareness but less effective for converting leads into customers. While 59 percent of respondents noted social media as most effective at building visibility and awareness, only 32 percent said it was most effective for converting customers.

Direct mail reaches prospective customers in a different space: their physical home.

Its effectiveness is fairly stable — and builds up steadily — across the customer journey. According to the same London Research/dotdigital report, 13 percent of businesses see direct mail as most effective for building awareness, 19 percent for engagement and nurturing, 20 percent for converting, and 25 percent for retention and loyalty.

---

By combining this steady strength with the most effective digital channels at four stages in the customer journey, marketers can gain a boost for their campaigns that drives more action. Here's how:

 

Stage 1: Awareness

Introducing a brand or a new product to a fresh slate of prospective users calls for a wide reach. That's why respondents in the London Research/dotdigital report note that social media is most effective for building awareness. But social media posts offer limited space and time to tell a brand story.

To engage consumers, brands can pair introductory posts on social with direct mail. In doing so, marketers can tell the story of a new-to-market brand or exciting new product through an in-depth brochure or catalog that pushes users online with personalized URLs.

According to a case study from Aircards, a company that builds augmented reality (AR) experiences for brands, the private financial- and investing-advice company The Motley Fool wanted to increase awareness with an existing customer base around the launch of a new service. Together, they created a postcard that recipients could scan to connect to an engaging AR experience. The campaign saw a 40.3 percent engagement rate.

 

Stage 2: Consideration

After gaining some recognition in the market and piquing people's interest, a brand needs to position itself as the right solution to address prospective customers' needs. Regular, noninvasive interactions can help with this positioning and keep consumers engaged. That's why many marketers turn to digital display ads. In fact, research from eMarketer shows that U.S. marketers will spend more than $134 billion on digital ads in 2020, and they are projected to spend about 21 percent more in 2021.

But data from the London Research/dotdigital report shows that these ads aren't necessarily the most effective channels on their own. Only 15 percent of respondents called it the most effective for engagement and lead nurturing.

However, paired with direct mail, which 19 percent of respondents called effective, a brand can turn curiosity into active evaluation and push a prospect further down the funnel toward conversion.

 

Stage 3: Conversion

Once consumers are considering a brand, it's time for marketers to transform those interested leads into customers. At this stage, many marketers turn to paid search advertising. After all, when customers are nearly ready to buy, many conduct an online search to find the best option.

 

Marketers can match paid search advertising with targeted direct mail follow-ups. Paid search advertising is a top-ranked channel for converting customers, with 31 percent of respondents in the London Research/dotdigital report marking it as most effective. And direct mail is not far behind, with 20 percent of respondents calling it most effective. Together, these channels can encourage a customer to purchase.

NatureBox, a subscription service offering nutritionist-approved snacks, used direct mail to reengage and convert prospects who had fallen off, according to a case study from direct mail automation firm Inkit. To encourage a purchase, NatureBox targeted customers using a postcard with store credit. Nearly 9 percent of recipients redeemed it. The mail campaign also drove a 35 percent increase in orders for NatureBox and increased revenue per customer by 60 percent.

After a prospect searches and interacts with a paid search ad, brands can use retargeted direct mail tactics to quickly send a direct mail piece. This nudge can be just what they need to become a customer.

 

Stage 4: Loyalty

By this stage, the prospect is now the customer. But brands know that the first transaction is just the beginning of a longer lifecycle. To retain customers, brands need to earn their loyalty.

Email is far and away the favorite tactic here, with 71 percent of respondents in the London Research/dotdigital report calling it the most effective channel for customer retention and loyalty. Direct mail isn't far behind (it's the fourth most effective channel, per the London Research/dotdigital report), with 25 percent of respondents noting its effectiveness. Together, the two mail formats form a dynamic duo.

As a case study by marketing automation platform Sumo notes, a catering company that focuses on serving businesses sent postcards featuring personalized URLs to people who had not opened recent emails. The result was a long-lasting boost: Orders attributable to the direct mail campaign piece came in throughout the month, creating a steady stream of revenue and a return on investment of more than 113 percent.

In the world of retention, direct mail works because it carries high response rates — around nine times that of digital channels, per a 2018 report by the ANA and DMA. Marketers should use it in lockstep with email to help create a loyalty cycle that delivers repeat customers.

 

Building Integrated Campaigns that Deliver

When a brand needs a boost, marketers should diversify their delivery channels. Direct mail can be a reliable catchall that bolsters a brand's digital tactics.

To amplify their efforts, marketers should find the digital channels that work best at each stage and then partner each one with a coordinated, complementary mail campaign.

With a well-planned omnichannel strategy that incorporates physical and digital channels, a brand can drive more action from start to finish.

Christopher Karpenko is the executive director of brand marketing at the United States Postal Service, a partner in the ANA Thought Leadership Program. You can email Christopher at christopher.j.karpenko@usps.gov.

Want to make the most out of your next direct mail project?  Reach out to our marketing experts at Duplicates INK and ask them to show you how marketSMART2.0 works  843-248-2574  or info@duplicatesink.com

5 Ideas for Holiday Marketing Inspiration

 At Duplicates INK - marketSMART we see our clients an partners are all taking new out of the box actions marketing this Holiday Season.  As life evolves as it continues to do, successful businesses adapt and make challenges and barriers and actually embrace them in order to create an opportunity our to the forsaid challenge.

This is where Duplicates INK - marketSMART shines.  We can help you think and see outside of the box.

If you are like many people, you may be wondering about the best way to celebrate the holidays this season.

As the world grapples with COVID-19, everyone will be making adjustments. This includes families, businesses, and even brands.

What will the 2020 holidays look like? And how will you adjust your sales and marketing plans accordingly? Agile marketing requires you to anticipate customer needs now and pivot to the demands of this new season.

Need inspiration? Here are just a few ideas about how to market your business this year.

1. Spread Out the Sales

Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the holiday season, is seeing the biggest change this year, with many major retailers like Target Corp., Walmart Inc., Macy’s Inc., and others instead hosting month-long sales and online initiatives to offer their customers safer ways to shop.

In particular, Target’s “Black Friday Now” initiative offers four weeklong sales, starting with a focus on electronics, then kitchen items and floor care, then electronics apparel and beauty, and then ending with deals on toys, kitchen items, floor care and electronics. The deals also qualify for the retailer’s Price Match Guarantee, where shoppers can request a price adjustment on any item between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24.

2. Push Local Pleasures

Since people are traveling less, consider how you can offer a hometown experience that is both safe and special.

In some communities, local businesses are banding together to compile curated boxes tailored to specific buyer personas. For example, a coffee box might feature a mug, a book, a pair of cozy socks, and several specialty roasts from 3-4 local businesses. A foodie gift box might include a few baked goodies with several gift cards for specialized, private dining experiences in your neighborhood.

Whether you offer a retail item or an unforgettable outing, today is a great time to put your community on a pedestal!

3. Offer Early Shopping Incentives

When people want to avoid the rush, offering freebies can tip them toward your business.

Can you build a unique stocking stuffer to go with each purchase? Or offer a fun experience with grab bags or surprise items they can purchase at a discounted rate for unwrapping at home? From BOGO specials to free shipping, make it worth their while to buy early!

4. Make Returns a Snap

With so much uncertainty this year, people will be craving extra assurance.

How do you publicize your return policy? Make things as simple as possible and spread the word far and wide. If you have a retail space, post it on your wall, your front counter, your cash register, or on customer receipts or purchase inserts. On your website, spell it out on a page and make sure that links to that page are visible on the home page. Add it to your flyers, social media pages, or anywhere you can assure clients you’ve got their back. 

5. Add Custom Packaging to Brighten the Mood

Whether it’s getting the mail each day or unwrapping a customer appreciation gift, the ”unboxing” process has become a critical part of the customer experience.

Around 45% of surveyed people say they were more excited about receiving their order when it included customized wrapping. Be creative and colorful to make this season merry and bright!

Tis the Season to Set Yourself Apart

Want to increase the emotional attachment customers have to your business?

From a dash of color on your envelope to a custom print piece, holiday pizazz can be a part of any business budget. If you'd like to chat about options, give us a call!

Duplicates INK - marketSMART
info@duplicatesink.com
www.duplicatesink.com
843-248-2574