If your direct mail is fat, over-sized, or three-dimensional, it stands out to recipients. Therefore, people want to pick it up and see what’s inside. As a result, the return of dimensional mailings can be spectacular. However, they do cost more to produce, assemble and mail. While dimensional mailings work, you want to be smart about using them correctly.
Maximize your return with dimensional mail by using the following techniques:
- Narrow down and target your recipients diligently. Unfortunately, dimensional mailings are not the greatest solution for mass mailings. However, dimensional mailings are best for generating sales of higher value products and services. Long-term contracts or donor relationships, insurance or financial services and real estate transactions are prime examples.
- Don’t frighten a recipient with an unmarked package. Integrate a marketing message on the outside, even if you want to keep the package plain. Never send an unmarked package because it makes recipients nervous.
- Keep the mail relevant. Make the enclosed gift or incentive practical, such as a product sample, and have it directly relate to your marketing message. By doing this, you can avoid confusion with your recipients.
- Research production and mailing costs carefully. Depending on what kind of campaign you’re considering, case studies can provide insight and offer an idea of response rates.
- Ensure that your idea can be mailed. Consult with the USPS or other carriers to ensure you are not violating postal regulations or mailing something they could deem unshippable.
- Test for integrity in the postal stream. Mail test samples to yourself or to colleagues to gauge the impact on the package itself. Does it get damaged as it is wedged into small mailboxes? Does it survive the mail stream?
- Track and measure campaign results. Most importantly, establish a realistic benchmark for success.
In conclusion, there are a lot of things to consider when it comes to dimensional mailing.
