Omnichannel marketing refers to utilising all the advertising channels at your disposal. A truly omnichannel marketing campaign will include the main social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook), video streaming sites like YouTube and TikTok, advertising in print media, on the radio, and even on television if budget allows.
Think of any major corporation and you will be able to recognise this type of marketing strategy, but it can be just as effective for smaller businesses if adopted at scale. However, one important advertising channel that many companies overlook is direct mail. Here is an opportunity to get your promotional material in the hands of your target audience, yet it seems to be disregarded.
In this article, we’re going to look at some key ways to incorporate direct marketing into your omnichannel marketing campaign and how it can improve your chance of engagement.
Top and tail your campaign
Direct mail is most effective at the very start and the very end of your marketing campaign. You should start with a leaflet or other promotional material pushed through the door, as it’s more immediate and, as a physical item, it’s more likely to register with the recipient than an online advert. Your other advertising channels will then build on that foundation. They should repeat the information contained in the direct mail and elaborate on it. That initial impression, however fleeting, carries a lot of weight with your recipient, so much so that subsequent advertising resonates with them. Once your campaign is complete, a second direct mailing is a great way to consolidate engagement.
Fill in the gaps
If your product is aimed at a broad audience, you want to capture as much interest as possible. That’s pretty much the essence of omnichannel marketing. Some customers might not trust online advertising, some might not read print newspapers, and almost all of them will click “Skip Ad” when it comes up in front of a YouTube video. With direct mail, you have a captive audience. After all, the only place they can’t avoid advertising is in their own home. Even just giving it a cursory glance as they pick it up off the mat gives you enough time to grab their attention.
Direct mail speaks to your audience
While other forms of marketing may be cheaper when you divide the cost by the number of people reached, no other channel offers a better return on investment than direct mail. The audience insights, location mapping, and target modelling offered by direct marketing firms are much more accurate than the algorithms relied upon by online advertising. By zeroing in on your prime targets with direct mail, you can point them towards your online or social media presence with exclusive QR codes or custom URLs. Since they’re already invested and engaged, they will often be your strongest supporters when it comes to sharing.
