In today’s marketing world, the opportunities and avenues for reaching your audience are vast, sometimes complicated, and often overwhelming. The growth and influence of digital marketing has especially contributed to this; every time you turn around, there’s a new way to reach your audience, whether it be through social media, new types of digital ads, blogging and content marketing, through brand influencers, with video – the list goes on!
All of these fresh, new opportunities can make it easy to forget about some of the more “old-fashioned,” tried-and-true methods for reaching our audience. One such method is direct mail, a consistently effective, impactful way for reaching your audience.
“Direct mail might not be the most modern marketing tactic, but if you execute a direct mail campaign thoughtfully, it can play a meaningful, even vital role in an integrated marketing strategy,” says Diana Moore, Vice President of Production Services at SageAge Strategies. “Direct mail is a great way to make a tangible and personal connection with your audience, and it’s a great way to get creative, too.”
While your latest email campaign could easily land in a reader’s spam folder without it even seeing the light of day, your prospective customer has to at least shuffle through your direct mail piece before making a decision to toss it or keep reading, giving you a unique opportunity to try some out of the box, creative ideas for really grabbing someone’s attention in a way an email subject line cannot.
To start, let’s look at some circumstances for which direct mail can be really effective.
When Does Direct Mail Make Sense?
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When other methods of outreach aren’t available to you. Many customers are getting savvy to the email-heavy marketing that lots of companies use, and as such, are choosing to opt out of email communications. When you have a strong prospect but can’t reach them by email, whether because they’ve opted out, aren’t opening their email, or you’re getting caught up in spam, direct mail can be a better way to create a connection.
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When you have a very targeted group you want to reach. For example, the team at SageAge introduced a way for communities to reach audience’s specifically interested in Alzheimer’s and dementia care through very targeted mail lists. In this circumstance, a targeted direct mail piece is a great way to share a very specific message with that particular group.
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When you want to supercharge a local campaign you have running. If you have a local campaign running to promote a new amenity, a special deal, or something else that’s time-sensitive, direct mail is a great way to boost and support what you already have going on, and make an even more meaningful impact on your audience through a wide range of touchpoints.
How to Make Your Direct Mail Effective
So you have an opportunity to send a direct mail piece, but now you need to ensure it’s effective and impactful. Here are some tips for doing just that!
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Make sure everyone is on the same page. Your marketing team may be one person or it may be several, but either way, chances are you have several initiatives running at once. While utilizing social media outreach,public relations, content on your website and print advertising, it’s critical that all of your outreach be integrated and work together. If your prospective audience is getting confusing messages that lack unity, they’re not going to be receptive to your pitch.
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Get personal. As mentioned, direct mail gives you a unique opportunity to hone in on your audience with a laser-like focus – given that, it makes no sense to send them a generic, broad message. Ensure your message is personal and speaks directly to the audience you are targeting. Show them you understand their unique challenges and can provide meaningful solutions that fit their lives.
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Give them something you aren’t giving everyone else. Nothing piques a person’s interest more than the word “exclusive.” Some of the top reasons users cite for opting into mailing lists or newsletters is the desire to receive exclusive content or benefits. If your audience is expecting some sort of perk, they’ll be more likely to read your direct mail piece and continue engaging in the future.
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Bring your print marketing into the digital age. An integrated marketing campaign involves ensuring your messaging and outreach are consistent and complimentary, but it can also involve tying digital touchpoints into your print materials. One such way is to enable short, traceable links for your readers to follow that will let you capture information such as who is reading your mail, if they are engaging online and more.
These tips are just the beginning of what you can do to create a fully integrated marketing strategy, but they represent major, high-level efforts that you should execute on before getting more granular.
Proven Sales and Marketing Expertise That Connects with Today’s Seniors
If you are managing a senior living community and are in need of expertise in precisely profiling, targeting and connecting with your target markets, contact us for more information today. SageAge Strategies is a multiple award-winning, strategic growth and marketing organization that operates exclusively in the senior living industry. For more information, please call or e-mail Adrienne Mansfield Straub at 833-240-0655 ext. 100 / [email protected].
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