Direct Mail for B2B Companies
Having been in business for over 40 years now we have witnessed the rise, fall and revival of DM and can therefore attest to its effectiveness as a method of communication with customers and clients.
In a recent blog post, we sought to answer the question, ‘Is Direct Mail Really Dead’, and from what we discovered it is clear to see that it most certainly isn’t!
In the year to date, we have worked on over 300 direct mail campaigns for our clients. An increase of 7% on the same period last year.
One of the areas in which we are seeing the greatest uptake in Direct Mail is within B2B companies.
This, of course, is in part thanks to the increased regulation imposed by the GDPR. However, based on feedback from our clients this is only one reason they are exploring the capabilities of DM again.
So why are we seeing a revival in DM, particularly when it comes to B2B?
Cutting through the clutter
Although digital alternatives to traditional DM can at first seem like a more cost-effective method they face the ever-increasing battle of cutting through the clutter.
Unlike a letterbox, an inbox does a particularly effective job of sorting emails into that which you actually want to read and all the other stuff.
This is great for time conscious 21st-century business people, but not so great for the companies looking to conduct business with them.
Direct Mail is a far more under utilised method of communication and as such the likelihood of your prospect receiving your communication is higher.
By sending a Direct Mail, marketers can step away from the online traffic and allow their brand a real chance of being heard.
In addition, in the world of cold emails and auto-dialers, direct mail shows a high level of commitment, financially speaking. And this is sure to be noted by prospective clients.
Generation of integrated campaigns
In recent years we have seen the emergence of marketing campaigns which are far more integrated.
Integrated marketing ensures that all marketing comms are all working together toward a common goal and telling the same story.
This can involve a mix of online and offline tactics such as direct mail, e-dm, social, PR and so on.
When run effectively these campaigns seek to move prospects through the sales funnel. From awareness to purchase in a seamless manner.
One survey, which asked businesses how many marketing channels they used, found that 40% of businesses used 5-7 avenues. So, if you’re only using one or two, you may find that you quickly fall behind this competition.
Direct mail is a great starting point for these campaigns. Direct Mail has the ability to cut through the clutter and therefore is a more effective way of introducing a prospect to the brand than say, email or social.
The tangibility involved and the scope to create makes DM more memorable.
I mean what are you more likely to take notice of, a flashy email or a box of personalised doughnuts with a message inside?
We had great success in using DM as the first point of contact in a recent integrated campaign which saw us secure meetings with 53% of prospects. Many stating that they responded to the meeting request on the back receiving our DM piece.
A Foot in the Door for Sales
As demonstrated by the above, using DM is a great foot in the door for sales.
Sales teams love direct mail. They see how it benefits them more than some other marketing channels and it’s much easier to integrate into sales stages and processes.
If you have made a tangible connection with a prospect in the form of DM the follow-up call won’t be as challenging.
Account based marketing
Account-based marketing is a fantastic technique that aligns marketing and sales. And lends itself perfectly to DM.
ABM is seen to be proactive in its approach as opposed to reactive.
Reactive advertising has its downsides. For example, let’s say someone visits your website and downloads an e-book. If you were to just retarget this one person over and over across all digital channels, you would probably annoy them.
Proactive advertising, however, is how B2B marketers engage with all stakeholders in a deal. This means getting your message in front of the influencers in your target company even if they have never been to your website.
Direct Mail works well here as you can send highly personalised, targeted communications to your prospects that are sure to get noticed.
Of course, DM will serve as part of a wider ABM campaign but as mentioned previously it is a great way to get your foot in the door.
Interested in adding Direct Mail into your next marketing campaign? Get in contact with us to find out how!
