The Top Three Direct Mail Mistakes

Over the past 32 years, I have seen a lot of direct mail mistakes. Sometimes they have been really funny, like the time when a wrong phone number was put on the mail piece so when recipients called it they reached a sex hotline. That was pretty funny.

Other times, the mistakes have just been sad, like when a nonprofit had the wrong return address on their courtesy reply envelopes, so they did not get the donation checks delivered to them. The worst mistakes are the ones that cost your clients the most money, so learning what to avoid can really help.

Top 3 Mistakes:

1. Missing or Unclear Call to Action: The purpose of direct mail is to get recipients to respond. When your clients are missing a call to action or it is unclear to recipients what they want them to do, they will not get the response they were planning on. If they get a response at all, it would be surprising. Help your customers do better! Be sure to have a specific call to action that is easy to follow. Highlight the great things they will get when they respond. Remember that this is all about the recipient, what is in it for them. Engagement requires that they go beyond getting recipient attention and really getting them to interact. The deeper the engagement, the better the relationship, the more money spent and more referrals.
2. Designed Without Postal Regulations in Mind: The USPS has many regulations on direct mail and if your clients do not follow them, it will cost more in postage. Since postage is their biggest cost, this can mean a lot of money. There are strict regulations on where an address can be placed and that will depend on which mail category they fall into. There are folding specifications as well as paper weight. Your best bet is to consult with your clients during the design phase to make sure they are meeting all the requirements before you print. This can save them a lot of money and help you build and stronger relationship.
3. Unorganized or Not Well Planned: Marketing in general is complicated. There are a lot of things to consider as well as keep track of. Direct mail is definitely one of the more complicated channels. That is why you can help your customers plan better. Before they start a direct mail campaign you need to help them plan it out, from design through tracking. Set not only their goals and expectations but also your timelines with their mail date in mind. Many times, people run out of time to make their planned mail date. All the time gets sucked up in design and printing without leaving enough time to get the mailing out on schedule. Whenever they rush through a step there are bound be to things that go wrong, so take the time with them upfront to address issues before they happen. Creating the follow up with tracking and reporting once the campaign is complete is vital to success. You need to know what is working and what needs to be changed.

All three of these mistakes can cost you a lot of money. If you take the time to help your customers create a direct mail campaign, make sure to address the potential problems before it is too late. Don’t waste their money. Direct mail can be a great way to promote and grow their business when it is done correctly. With careful planning and tracking direct mail can increase their ROI. What mistakes have you seen in the past? I would love to hear about them!