If you’re struggling to find the time, money, or resources to do all your marketing manually, marketing automation could be the solution your home service company has been looking for. Marketing automation involves the use of software to automate your marketing efforts and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your marketing strategies. This makes it an invaluable tool to HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and carpet cleaning companies alike.
One of the best ways of using marketing automation is in your direct mail marketing campaign. If you’re not doing direct mail marketing, it’s definitely something you should consider. With 42% of people reading or scanning direct mail, it can be a very effective personalized approach to customers.
In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of marketing automation and how direct mail can fit into your marketing flow.
Tips To Get Started With Direct Mail
Direct mail is a strategy that does take some time and research. With that, here are some tips to get you started on automating your direct mail campaign today.
1. Collect Customer Data
To get the most out of a direct mail marketing campaign, automated or otherwise, you need to have some user data. Without user data, you could end up sending postcards out to people outside your target demographic, wasting time and money in the process. If you’ve ever operated any marketing campaign, you should be able to access some user data concerning the age, gender, and basic location of your target audience.
You can also collect relevant user data by monitoring individual actions on your website. Which of your service pages garner the most clicks? What time of year do people visit your website the most? This is actionable information that you or an outside agency can use to customize your direct mail to suit your audience.
2. Decide What You’d Like Mailed Out
If you’re working with a limited budget, you can opt for automating cheap direct mail. This could be basic postcards with thank you messages, discount codes, or information about an upcoming promotion.
Do you have a larger budget and want to send direct mail packages? Consider what types of items you’d be sending, how much they’d cost, and whether you’d get a return on that investment. Many companies use direct mail to send out free merchandise and other gifts that foster loyalty and indirectly promote the business. Please note, automated mailing software makes it much easier to manage your budgets and inventory for this type of campaign.
3. Use a Sending Platform
Once you have actionable customer data and an idea of what you’d like sent out, you should acquire the right marketing automation software. In the case of automated direct mail, the software you’d be looking for should include some type of sending platform.
A sending platform is a marketing tool that you can use to manage your direct mail campaign. This software enables you to create user groups, assign budgets, track inventory and deliveries, and much more. It can help you manage the various details that go into a direct mail campaign, saving you a considerable amount of time in the process.
You can use this software to implement direct mail into your ongoing marketing campaigns. Be sure to set up triggers, such as someone interacting with your website in a particular way.
4. Start Small
If you’re completely new to direct mail, there’s nothing wrong with starting small with something like postcards. Before you commit to sending physical products, you can first send out one round of postcards to people living in your service area. By including some sort of promotion or discount code on the card, you could gain valuable data about how many people would be receptive to receiving regular mail from your business.
5. Test Your Messaging
To harness the power of an automated direct mail campaign, you’ll need your mail to have the right look and messaging. A simple and low-cost way of testing your messaging is to send several types of mail to different people. Are you having trouble deciding between postcards and lead letters? You could send one batch of postcards to one group and one batch of lead letters to another. With an automated campaign, you can analyze the response rates from each. This will allow you to determine which is performing better with your recipients.
Wrapping Up
Home service companies like HVAC, electrical, and plumbing businesses often underestimate the automated marketing tools at their disposal. The reality is, taking advantage of these newer technologies is a fantastic way to set your business apart. Software offering automated direct mail services can help you build stronger relationships with your customers and drive revenue, all while being efficient and cost-effective.
KEEP READING: Boosting Your Direct Mail Response Rates