Mail Meets the WebKeeping Direct Mail Relevant

in an Online World

Dave Lewis, PresidentSnailWorks

Do your response rates look like this?

Do your response rates look like this?

Postal mail still has some important advantages that no other channels share…

Direct Mail: The Essential Channel

Direct Mail: The Essential Channel

Market Penetration

Exclusivity

Targetability

Perceived Value

The Mail Moment

Still, direct mail has its limitations…

Direct Mail Limitations

Direct Mail Limitations

Expensive

Lacks State-of-the-art buzzUnpredictable

delivery time

Requires effort to respond

Tying in other marketing channels can overcome direct mail’s limitations

Multi-Channel Solution

Email MarketingWeb MarketingSocial Media

New Channels

◦Strengths: Cheap Precisely timed Allows for immediate response with a click Very measurable

◦Weaknesses: Cheap – low perceived value Permission based Low open rates Difficult to get lists or target

Email Marketing

◦Strengths: Responsive – Prospects can buy there Controllable – You control every element of the site Your brand lives here

◦Weaknesses: Getting eyeballs – a billboard in the basement Not focused on a particular offer

Web Marketing

◦Strengths: It’s everywhere! Great reach Very low media cost High-tech, up-to-date

◦Weaknesses: Passive - Inbound High maintenance Always changing

Social Media

Direct mail drives a broad spectrum of prospects to the web

Coordinated email can help simplify and boost response

Coordinated email offers a simplified path for response – just click

Multi-Channel Helps

Effective multi-channel marketing is all about using the right tools

and setting business rules

Rules and Tools

The Building Blocks of Multi-Channel

Intelligent Mail is a Postal Service program that uses a special barcode (the Intelligent Mail barcode, or IMb)

The IMb consists of:◦ A Barcode ID – identifies the type of barcode◦ A service type ID – tells the barcode what to “do”◦ A mailer ID – Identifies the mail owner or preparer◦ A serial number – a “license plate” for the mail

piece◦ The ZIP+4 and delivery point – where it’s going!

Intelligent Mail & Mail Tracking

Why Intelligent Mail?◦ Needed to secure postal discounts◦ Allows delivery tracking of mail

Coordinate other marketing Just know it got there!

◦ Provides for other services: ACS - Address Change Service Returned/forwarded mail

Intelligent Mail & Mail Tracking

Email marketing is groups of email sent to a list that has given permission to send email

Email is regulated by CAN/SPAM laws Two primary styles:

◦ HTML: With images◦ Text

Two distribution methods:◦ Email blast◦ Triggered email

Email Marketing

Why Email as part of a Multi-Channel campaign?◦ Reinforces direct mail message and branding◦ Offers another channel to those who do not

receive/read direct mail◦ Provides an easy way to respond – just click!◦ Inexpensive – easy to add additional efforts

Email Marketing

A URL is a Uniform Resource Locator Generally links to campaign landing page

◦ PURL: Personalized URL DaveLewis.PromptEvents.net

◦ GURL: General or “Guest” URL www.PromptEvents.net

◦ QRURL: QR code URL – Optimized for mobile

PURLS, GURLS, and QRURLS

Why PURLs, GURLs, and QRURLs?◦ Make it easy to find your landing page◦ Make it easy to find your offer◦ Make it easy to respond

Prepopulate forms – especially valuable on mobile◦ Track, track, track!

Exactly who has visited!

PURLS, GURLS, and QRURLS

A Landing Page is a web page created specifically for the campaign/offer – sometimes called a micro-site

Typically reflects the branding of the direct mail and email marketing efforts

Leads directly to the offer – may be prepopulated

May or may not reflect branding from company web site

Landing Pages

Why a Landing Page?◦ Specific to offer – prospect doesn’t need to look

for offer◦ Easy to respond – can be prepopulated◦ Measurable – you know how many came to the

page, and who responded◦ Specific to campaign – can be personalized,

varied by segment, location

Landing Pages

Social Media is generally the building of networks and communities on digital sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others

Can be used to generate additional activity to landing page

Provides means of viral sharing of marketing efforts

Social Media

Why Social Media?◦ Low media cost◦ Tremendous potential audience◦ Particularly effective with young market◦ Viral potential

Social Media

Deploying your own Multi-Channel

Campaign!

Getting Started

Think like a flow chart

Getting Started with Multi-Channel

Flowchart the Campaign

Start with a plan –

and a strong offer

Getting Started with Multi-Channel

Select a great GURL:

HailTheSnail.comFNW2013.org

May14seminar.com

Getting Started with Multi-Channel

CoordinateExecuteMeasure Adjust

Getting Started with Multi-Channel

Measure, Measure, Measure

Measure, Measure, Measure

Direct Mail people, meet the Email and Web folks!

Directing the Process

Actual response data

DIRECT MAIL RESPONSEOther 16.95%Web 6.42%Other Mail 13.45%Telemarketing 1.84%Renewal Mail 61.34%

Questions???