TESTING YOUR DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN

A part of your company’s resources go into brand awareness. Direct mail is one of the methods for you to deliver your message to a targeted market. An effective direct mail campaign is determined by the average response that you get from your target market.

Direct mail can be ineffective if used wildly without testing. Gladly, direct mail is different from broad-market advertising, where you can only gauge the response once you’ve poured a hefty portion of your resources into it. Direct mail can be tested over a small target market so you can gauge their response. Through testing, you can pinpoint the areas where you can improve your message.

Testing your direct mail marketing can save you from making costly mistakes. You can have your direct mail tested in small target markets first before you release your message in a broader market. Your feedback in small target markets would give you an idea on how well your message will be received once you release it on a larger scale.

When testing, you would need to look for areas of improvement – a part in your message that can be enhanced that can make your message more appealing to your readers. A big part of your response rate has something to do with the message in your direct mail. The key parts of your direct mail campaign that needs to be tested are the following:

Package how your package is designed affects your average response. Test different designs for your package to see which appeals the most to your potential customers.

Message how your message is written definitely affects how your readers would react. The words you use may be too strong or too pushy that it pushes customers away. Some markets are responsive to strong statements, and others prefer a much more statistical approach. Test which approach works best for your target market.

Mailing list who you send your direct mail to will also affect your average response. Consider your mailing list’s demographics and location. Your message and your offer may not be suitable for your mailing list. Test different messages on different mailing lists to figure out which mailing list responds best to each message. Consider if you’re marketing your product to the right market. Testing lets you focus on a target market that responds favourably to testing.

Timing the timing for your direct mail is also important. Through testing, you can get feedback on when your direct mail works best. Consider the weather, current affairs, and current trends when you send your direct mail. Sending your direct mail at the right time increases your chances of getting a response.

Testing your direct mail lets you allocate your resources to the right campaign. Let’s face it; a direct mail campaign to a wide market may require a significant portion of your company’s resources. Testing lets you know what you can do to improve your chances of landing your customers. Testing your direct mail is a cost-effective way to predict and enhance odds for the success of your direct marketing campaign.