Member Article

Baker Goodchild Discuss Factors to Consider When Planning the Perfect Mailshot Campaign

First of all, what is meant by a mailshot?

Mailshots are a form of direct marketing which is also called direct mail. This method of communication directly connects the recipient through mail in the post. The most popular formats used are postcards and letters, but other formats can be used too.

The beauty of a mailshot is that a direct marketing message can be shared with a large group. Mailshots can be used for a wide variety of reasons, e.g. selling products and services, traffic generation, creating publicity and notifying of events, etc.)

Mailshots are still very successful

As the saying goes “rumours of my death have been wildly exaggerated”, this certainly applies to direct mail. With the rise of digital direct marketing techniques, (e.g. PPC, online banner advertising, mobile advertising, etc.) many marketers had reduced their budget allocation for direct mail and were forecasting it would go the way of the dinosaurs and become extinct!

Recent reports suggest that mailshot in the UK rose 4.5% during 2015, so why has there been this increase in demand for mailshots?

So why are mailshots still successful?

Mailshots have now been around for six decades and are still a very powerful direct marketing technique, why is this so?Well for a start there has never in this time been so little competition for a residential mailbox. Due to this the mailshots that arrive are much more noticeable and likely to be read.

Research surveys show that many people actually like receiving relevant mailshots; in recent years the direct mailshot industry has worked hard on sending relevant offers to the recipient’s personal interests and also successfully has used demographic profiling.Mailshots are easy to track and monitor, this makes it easy to influence decision makers as results can be proven, this is more difficult to verify with other direct marketing (e.g. TV, Radio, etc.)

Mailshot ROI continues to be good, with research showing an average RO of £3.22 for each £1 spent – this is a higher return than many other forms of marketing. Increasingly though direct mail is not viewed in isolation but instead as a valued family member of integrated digital marketing.

The mailshot process

We’ve summarised the mailshot process into its logical stages which are:

• Cleansing of data
• Writing the mailshot
• Personalising the mailshot
• Materials to use
• Innovate with shapes and sizes and
• Printing the mailshot

Each of these stages is now detailed below:

1) Cleansing of data

There’s little point in sending out a mailshot without cleansing the data. Sending out uncleansed mailshots is such a waste, it increases gone aways, it’s very bad practice to send mail to deceased people and hardly does anything for a business’ green credentials. An investment in data cleansing will have an ROI both in terms of extra profitability but also increased customer satisfaction too.Always screen data through various checking tools, e.g. Royal Mail PAF, deaths register; home movers register and use a variety of other data cleansing tools to start the campaign off well.

2) Writing the mailshot

Now that the data is clean it’s time to write the mailshot. Above all else keep the content interesting, avoid generic content and make sure that the headlines stand out and grab the reader’s attention.

When writing the mailshot ALWAYS include your contact details and that’s all of them, so include telephone number(s) (maybe landline and mobile, possibly a Freephone number), contact address (people respond less to PO boxes), email address and also URLs for social media profiles.A clear call to action is important; never leave the recipient in doubt as to what they should do next. Invite them specifically to contact you, if it’s applicable include a date needed for replies, this will stimulate the recipient to respond (and not forget). Giving them a reason to respond is ideal, so include details of special offers – provide a genuine lucrative discount which is not commonly available, there is no point mailshotting an offer everybody has access to.

Keep the mailshot clear, avoid use of jargon, be punchy and get to the point. Use simple English which is backed with images (to break-up text) an also use colour to stimulate the eyes! Add some mailshot spice by integrating technology. Use QR codes, near field communication and augmented reality to really increase interest in the mailshot and improve the chances of follow-up action.

1) Personalising the mailshot

It’s time to get personal; recipients want to believe that the mailshot has been created specifically for them. Give them that “warm inside” feeling by including as a minimum their name and address (dear occupier mailshots get discarded much more quickly).True personalisation of a mailshot will occur when you know something about the recipient. Demonstrating knowledge of previous purchases or their interests and personalising the mailshot is likely to increase response rates.For organisations with the benefit of an E-commerce system increased levels of personalisation are possible through mailshots incorporating cross-selling and up-selling techniques.

2) Materials to use

When organising a mailshot always focus on quality materials, these will be more appealing to recipients (e.g. glossy print). For most organisations environmental friendliness is a priority so using biodegradable envelopes, recycled papers, eco style polywrap, etc. are all ways of reducing the carbon footprint of the mailshot.Materials can be purchased which stimulate the senses. Laminated finished, block foil or varnishes can all help to increase the appeal of the mailshot.

3) Innovate with shapes and sizes

Experiment with the shapes and sizes of the mailshot. For example a mailshot for a car shaped as a car could work well. Use colours sensitively, certain colours are associated with certain industries; also using brand colours is often an excellent idea. The use of scent (perfume, etc.) is unusual, but could work for certain mailshots (e.g. ladies beauty products).

4) Printing the mailshot

Having completed all of the above steps it’s now time to print the mailshot. The main decision that needs to be taken (often) is whether to print in-house or externally.

First off to remember is that large mailshot runs are not comparable to office printing, they are much more complex. Before deciding to print in-house ask some questions:

• Is the right machinery available? (Typically investment in printers for mailshots is not economically viable). Can existing machinery handle the mailshot volumes and glossy print?
• Is the physical storage available for the mailshot (i.e. for all raw materials and finished stock)
• Have all costs been factored in, e.g. costs of electricity, in-house labour, transit costs, etc.
• Often mailshots are required urgently, could urgent responses be delivered in-house?

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed this guide from Baker Goodchild and feel able to practically apply the process and tips to your next mailshot campaign.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sonya Roy .