When developing a direct mail campaign, do you take into consideration whether your goal is customer acquisition or customer retention? You should. The two groups are quite different and should be marketed to differently.
Customer Acquisition
Acquisition mailings are going to a group of people who may not know your company or your products well (or at all). You have limited time and space to get their attention, communicate your value proposition, and present a compelling reason for them to act. Think of your mailing as an elevator pitch. You want to send them a deep offer to get them to either switch from a competitor or to start considering your products in the first place.
Customer Retention
Retention mailings are going to people who already know you. You don’t have to introduce yourself, so you can use that space to present specific products and services that make sense for them. Over time, you can present them with increasingly relevant offers based on information that you already know about them or that you learn as you go along.
What does this look like in practice?
Think about it this way. Say you just bought a new car and want to sell your older one. When marketing to the general public, you might describe the car’s features, condition, and price. You might also explain why it’s a great value to a new buyer. If you are selling to friends, however, you will modify each pitch based on what you know about them. To your friend Bob, you might say, “Isn’t your daughter taking driver’s education right now? Our old sedan is reliable, very safe, and it would make a great first car for her.” To your friend Sue, you might say, “I know you’ve been putting a lot of money into the maintenance of your car lately. We’re selling our sedan, which is slightly newer and is in great condition. It could save you a lot on repairs.”
Two different audiences—two different approaches. It is the same with direct mail acquisition and retention.
You aren’t going to try to sell existing customers on your full spectrum of products, either. You will select the right products that make sense for their needs. You’ll also be careful not to sell people on products they already have or that you have marketed to them before.
By understanding each audience and how to position your messaging best for each one, you’ll maximize your ROI, whether the campaign is digital or in print. Whether you are looking to acquire new customers or retain them, our team has helped countless customers with highly effective direct mail campaigns that meet each of these goals. Give us a call to find out how we can help meet your marketing goals.
