Same Experts. New Name.
SeQuel Response and FM Engage are now Franklin Madison Direct. While our name has changed, everything else remains the same: our people, our process, and our passion for driving measurable results through direct marketing.
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Three Ways to Sleigh Your Holiday Direct Mail Campaign
With inflation raising the costs on everything, you can expect shoppers to be searching for the best deals to put under the Christmas tree. Your holiday marketing campaign needs to show value, and you need to connect with consumers on their most trusted and persuasive channels. Direct mail marketing tops the list (tied with email marketing), as the second most influential ad type over consumer purchasing decisions, and 89% of marketers have increased or maintained direct mail investments in the last year. Therefore, if a holiday direct mail campaign is not already on your schedule, it should be.
The following holidays present a great opportunity for your brand to send a piece of direct mail this season:
- Thanksgiving
- Black Friday
- Small Business Saturday
- Cyber Monday
- Giving Tuesday
- Green Monday
- Hanukkah
- Christmas Eve and Day
- New Years Eve and Day
Keep reading for three tips to develop a holiday direct mail marketing strategy sure to drive sales and make spirits bright.
Offer a seamless omnichannel experience
Especially during peak shopping seasons, it is critical your direct marketing strategy seals any gaps between your online and offline channels.
- Brands with strong omnichannel strategies see a 9.5% yearly increase in annual revenue, and 7.5% decrease in cost per contacts.
- 61% of holiday shoppers use five or more channels to shop over a two-day period.
- 91% of marketers agree integrating direct mail and digital marketing channels has a positive impact on campaign performance.
Direct mail’s effectiveness lies in its ability to reach consumers at home, integrate with digital channels, show attributable conversions, and subconsciously influence consumer purchasing positions the channel as a strong foundation for your holiday advertising campaign. The lookalike models that were built with your direct mail data can be activated across the digital channels your audience naturally interacts with, such as social, display, email, and CTV for a targeted and relevant campaign. The strategic sequence of cohesive physical and digital touches during your mailer’s in-home window will reinforce your message, increasing the likelihood that your customer will take action by as much as 120%.
To further polish the omnichannel experience, leverage direct mail personalization tools such as variable printing data (VDP) or personalized URLS (PURLs) to optimize the checkout process. QR codes are an interactive element consumers love that grant direct marketers an option to tell a longer story and gives consumers the ability to digitally engage with extended content such as video or interactive landing pages.
Use holiday direct mail to market throughout the shopping season
Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Days are scheduled for the 2nd week in October, lengthening the holiday shopping window that traditionally began during November’s Cyber Weekend (Black Friday – Cyber Monday). With consumers “primed” and eager to shop, marketers can leverage the visibility and demand surrounding these notable ecommerce events to capture sales of their own with a well-timed direct mail piece their audience will find irresistible. When building your holiday mail strategy, determine tactics to engage with your audience throughout the buyer journey (and even post-holiday!) with loyalty deals and valuable offers.
- More than 80% of shoppers look forward to Black Friday deals, so focus on building brand awareness and prompting customer acquisition early in the season. Consider how you can use your mailer to drive behavior, such as foot traffic to your retail store locations with in-store only coupons or early access to sales with completed reviews.
- 75% of consumers are on the hunt for deals this time of the year. Your mid-season direct mailers could retarget abandoned carts or invite lapsed customers back who haven’t yet returned for the holiday season with limited time offers, free gifts with purchase, and complimentary shipping.
- Over 50% of consumers are more likely to engage in a loyalty program in 2023. Activate your CRM data and house lists with a retention mail program to reward loyal customers with exclusive products, unique savings, and store credits or gift cards that can be redeemed in the new year.
Share more than just deals with your holiday mailers
Brand and product relevance, environmental impacts, and sustainability programs have a strong impact on consumers’ behavior. Meet consumer expectations by showing your audience you are aligned with a creative direct mail package and marketing message that is reflective of what matters most to them right now. Younger generations who have the most buying power are especially mindful of genuine and authentic marketing — they will not hesitate to leave a brand that is not reflective of this in a competitive market.
- Nearly two-thirds of consumers think diverse representation in advertising is important.
- The majority of consumers choose products and brands based on how well they align to their values, and will pay more for them.
- 41% of consumers value community connection, and shop local businesses for a more meaningful experience.
Consider how your direct mail tone, copy, or offer can share your brand’s community, values, philanthropic actions, or sustainability initiatives. Ensure your imagery is inclusive of race, social class, sexual orientation, disabilities, and religious beliefs. Consider using eco-friendly papers and inks to show your brand prioritizes sustainable direct mail practices. Include location maps and local reviews on your mail piece to share your community with new customers.
An authentic, omnichannel strategy to your direct mail marketing campaign throughout the holiday season is an effective approach to efficiently reach your best audience and maximize a tight budget. As the shopping season quickly approaches, now is the time to polish your direct mail marketing program. Working with a full-service direct response agency eases the stress surrounding campaign strategy, list building, creative package, testing, production, and analytics — allowing you to focus on spreading the holiday cheer through bright messaging, meaningful customer experiences, and product fulfillment.
Looking for more holiday direct mail resources? We’ve got you covered.
