How to Utilize Direct Mail to Drive Web Traffic

Consumers spend more time online than ever before. As a result, many companies have shifted their marketing efforts to digital platforms. As a result, many marketers overlook direct mail marketing as a tool to drive website traffic.

Marketers are oversaturating the digital landscape with companies’ blogs, ads, and emails. Therefore, the chances of your efforts grabbing your audience‘s attention are low. Digital marketing remains a valuable way to advertise your business, but it’s success is multiplied when partnered with direct mail.

Utilizing a variety of consumer engagement tactics to create an integrated marketing strategy can help you grow your brand awareness and sales.

With that being said, here’s how to create an effective direct mail campaign to promote online sales and engagement. 

How Does Direct Mail Marketing Work?

Direct mail includes flyers, notes, gifts, and any physical correspondence you’d send to advertise your business to customers. It’s a highly effective way to make customers aware of your business, even in 2023.

Research shows customers open 90 percent of direct mail, but only open 20 to 30 percent of emails. But before you can start sending out direct mail, you need to do your research and define your audience. Then, build a list of client addresses or current leads and clients that fit your target audience. 

Your research can help you understand your audience‘s needs and wants to craft a compelling marketing message for your direct mail. Since direct mail can come in various forms, get creative and aim to get your customers excited. Don’t forget to include a call to action to increase your response rate and increase your ROI. 

Lastly, ensure to send your mail at the proper time so it arrives when you want it to; considering there is a lot of variation in how long it takes for mail to arrive, doing some research beforehand would be prudent.

Research shows customers open 90 percent of direct mail, but only open 20 to 30 percent of emails. 

3 Great Ways Direct Mail Campaigns Can Be Used to Drive Online Traffic

Websites have become a hub for your customers to find information about your business and generate leads. 97% of people search online for local companies, and 76% of people who search for a business online visit a store within a day. The following best practices outline how to utilize direct mail for driving website traffic. 

1. Include Your Website Address

Your target audience can’t visit your website if they don’t know your web address. Make the process of visiting your site simple by including it in your marketing materials.

An easy way to do this is by including a QR code on your mailers. A user can then scan the code on the camera app of their smartphone and instantly be directed to a page on your website. An alternate method is to simply include your web address in the letter’s message. The website you include should be easy to type into the search bar. If you are using a long URL to get users to a specific page, you can use a link shortener to simplify your link. 

You can also incorporate personalization into your direct mail by adding a personalized URL for each user. A personalized URL takes customers to a page that includes their name and exact offer. A customized URL can expand the personalized experience if you send handwritten direct mail. 

2. Include a Special Offer

As with any marketing campaign, you will have a goal in mind. Maybe you want to increase sign-ups, promote an event, or increase sales. If you’re going to move toward this goal, you will need to give customers a compelling reason to take the next step and visit your site.

Your offer should provide them with a relevant solution to their problem or needs. You can include a QR code, promo code, or a specific URL in your direct mail to encourage customers to take the next step. Also, making these offers time-sensitive will get people to act quickly.  

3. Keep It Consistent

As you direct people to your website, you will want to ensure that the webpage will match your direct mail offer. If your website branding doesn’t match your direct mail, you could confuse your audience. As a result, they will click off your website without providing any information or completing a purchase.

How to Get Started with a Direct Mail Marketing Campaign

The first step to creating a successful direct mail marketing campaign is to set an achievable goal. For example, you might want to direct potential customers to a free trial of your latest product. 

Next, you’ll want to a mailer that grabs your audience‘s attention and anticipates their needs. Remember to include a call to action to get them to your website. Make it easy for your audience to respond to your offer by including a QR code they can scan with their phone. The QR code should link to a landing page and be trackable. Now, your digital marketing takes over to turn that potential customerinto a lead. 

Once you run your campaign, you want to track the number of people who came to your website from that QR code. Tracking KPIs helps you determine what worked and what you need to change to increase response rates for your direct mail. 

Boost Your Results With Handwritten Direct Mail

One of the best ways to get noticed is to add personalization. This could be as simple as adding the customer‘s first name to the handwritten note or noting their purchase history in the message. Although simple, this makes your customers feel special, so they are more likely to respond positively.

Handwritten direct mail can also differentiate your business from competitors, making customers more likely to notice you.

A handwritten letter will stand out and help you build relationships with customers. Although it is a great tool to connect with customers, it takes a lot of effort to handwrite letters. With Handwrytten, you can send online messages you want to send to customers, and they will turn it into a handwritten note to save you time. 

Grow Your Business With Direct Mail Today

Direct mail can provide your business with an incredible opportunity to engage customers in a personal way. By using direct mail best practices, such as handwritten direct mail automation, you can incorporate tactics that drive customers online. As a result, you can build a cross-platform marketing strategy to grow your business faster than each strategy on its own. 

Are you ready to launch a personalized direct mail campaign? Sign up for Handwrytten to integrate your direct mail and digital marketing efforts.