Seasonal Direct Mail News from Citipost Mail: Christmas 2015 Edition Infographic

It’s the time of year when marketers see their carefully planned campaigns come to fruition. As we turn our attention to the upcoming festivities, it’s also a great time of year to review what’s worked and what can be improved, as well as looking ahead to advances in technology that might change the game in the New Year. Why not grab a cuppa and a mince pie, and read on to get some great tips on how to measure your success as well as our top tips and predictions for the forthcoming year.

Was Your Holiday Direct Mail Campaign A Success?

Even if you don’t send out direct mail throughout the year, you’ve probably invested in some direct mail activity to help boost your festive sales and keep business strong going in to the New Year. You’re already getting a feel for your sales figures over the past busy few weeks, but how can you really measure the success of your direct mail efforts?

TMR direct have offered some useful tips on how to do just that. They suggest measuring the response to your campaign over a full quarter rather than just a month to give it time to perform, focusing on the specifics of the offer, product or service in your campaign, actively asking for feedback and tracking enquiries rather than sales.

Further advice from CLEVERism offers a reminder to calculate ROI, and use the right tools and metrics to track the campaigns effectiveness. It’s also important to learn as much as you can about who responded to your campaign to help you streamline future targeting. This useful guidance can help determine the true impact of a direct mail campaign and help to refine your next promotion for even better results next year.

Direct Mail: The Only Way to Appeal to All 5 Senses

The more senses a brand is successful in engaging, the more likely a consumer is to choose that brand first. Marcelo Bustamante explores this idea in a post for the DMA, considering the part direct mail can play in awakening all 5 senses. Experiments show that when people can see and touch something, 24% value it more. This is where physical promotional products come in. If marketers get the offering right, targeting all 5 senses, this approach can deliver great results for your brand. It’s certainly something to consider when you’re planning campaigns for 2016.

Direct Mail Predictions For 2016

As we look ahead to the New Year, predictions have been released on the place of direct mail in 2016. Ctrac.com consider direct mail a vital part of the marketing mix, with marketers simply needing to adapt their strategy to continue to create successful campaigns. Their predictions for the coming year include increased personalisation, less distinction between direct mail and digital, improved mail tracking, better data and segmentation, and further A/B testing.

In 2016 direct mail will become another layer of the digital experience, claim pfl.com. Read more for a beautifully described example of exactly how this approach to direct mail could be used to secure a big ticket homewares purchase. Digital and print are on the verge of becoming fully integrated and connected, allowing marketers to create a stimulating and engaging experience for customers that’s both personal and relevant. Exciting times are ahead for marketers willing to adapt and embrace new technologies. Roll on 2016!