The age of email has seen much of the junk mail trade move online. Spam is now the new threat to the sanity of millions of email users, none of who are ever immune to the threat of unwanted email contact. Such is the frustration caused by spam, most Internet users feel angered by those who engage in these practices and clutter up their inboxes with irrelevant or unsolicited messages. At the same time, businesses still rely on direct marketing as a method of generating interest in their products and services.
With email spam identifiable at a glance, most email users are immune to messages sent out en masse over the web. But physical mailing is still shown to work as a promotional tactic, both for business and consumer customers. For those who want to rely on mailing campaigns, the art lies in making mailings appear as legitimate as possible to encourage open rates in the first instance.
Some physical mail is instantly identifiable as junk, simply because of the envelope it is in or the colors it uses. Other mail is much more overt and simply displays its message for the whole world to see. Depending on your industry, it may be beneficial to try to go for a more personalized, letter-style approach. In other cases, the more obnoxious, ‘shouting’ mail may be more useful. In terms of keeping your campaign spam-free, subtle is always best. In terms of conversion rates, that’s a matter for testing and monitoring what works out best.
One of the key differences between spam and a targeted mailing campaign is the relevance of the message. With spam, whether in the online or offline domain, emails are sent indiscriminately to as many different email addresses as can be found, or that can be scraped automatically from other pages on the web. Ensuring your message is relevant to your targets means tightening up the message, but also being selective in who you send it to. A well-crafted physical mailshot that is relevant to the recipient’s life is likely to see the best results, because people are likely to be more interested in hearing what you have to say.
There are a number of products that are essential for your mailshot, including the standard #10 Business Envelopes. The importance of a well-presented physical campaign cannot be underestimated, and details as subtle as the quality and size of envelope can make your mailing stand out from the rest.
The more legitimate your mailing campaign seems, the more likely you are to be able to communicate with those that you want to reach. Getting opened and read is the most important step – from that point onwards, you have a chance of selling to everyone. The more people you can sell to, the better, so it’s important you achieve a good open rate. With time and experience, campaigns can become more effective. However, only those who ensure they keep their mail useful and targeted can avoid the reputational damage that spamming can create.
