To Boost Customer Acquisition (& Retention)

Before we get into the seven retail marketing ideas we’ll share with you in this blog, let’s first look at some key aspects of retail marketing. Unlike several other industries, buying from the retail industry is not always driven by a need, but quite often by a want – or by a perceived need brought on by persuasive marketing. This notion can make retail marketing a bit more complicated than that of other industries, but with the right tools and knowledge, not necessarily more difficult. Marketing to a retail audience is all about creating engaged, loyal customers using effective, detail-oriented marketing campaigns that not only focus on acquisition, but long-term allegiance. It’s about finding your audience and targeting them with information based on their wants, interests, and pain points – causing them to realize or believe that they not only have interest in your product, but that they “need” it.

Customer Engagement

There are several ways to engage with and create an actively engaged audience. Generally, customer engagement is your brand’s communication with your customer base, made via strong marketing outreach through various channels. Quality engagement with current and potential customers can create brand awareness and understanding, as well as cultivate brand loyalty. In retail marketing, it’s imperative to create customer relationships – especially those that last. Retail marketing is made more successful when it’s well thought through, and retail campaigns work best when they can be easily spread and successfully flourish through word-of-mouth marketing (WOM marketing). WOM marketing is a must…after all, up to 90% of people trust recommendations from friends and family. Also important is efforts to not only keep customers coming in, but to keep customers coming. Make sure your campaigns are not only built to excite and attract new customers, but to appreciate and nurture existing customers. Experiential marketing, quality customer service, and loyalty discounts and offers are all key to marketing to and keeping current customers. In fact, 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a good experience, and 80% of customers say that their reason for switching to another company is poor customer service. Additionally, research shows that 71% of online shoppers are influenced by discounts, and the stronger your relationship is with a customer, the more likely they are to buy into an offer (and keep coming back for more).

Planning a Retail Marketing Campaign

The following are some key things to keep in mind when planning an effective retail marketing campaign.

  • Duration: How long will you run your campaign?
  • Engagement: Will the customer interact with your brand without prompting?
  • Frequency and Volume: How often and how much interaction will occur over the customer’s lifecycle?
  • Context: Where exactly are these interactions taking place?

7 Retail Marketing Ideas

Now that we’ve scratched the surface and gone over some retail marketing basics, we’d like to share several retail marketing ideas we’ve compiled – and believe work well. Take a look:

1. Blending Digital and In-Person Marketing:
74% of shoppers expect the same level of service in-store and online. So, make sure whether something’s out of stock, a customer’s unable to find their size, or they aren’t sure where to find a product in-store, that they can quickly resolve the issue with a digital touchpoint. The resolution should be as simple as pulling out their phone, scanning a QR code, finding a digital store map, signing up for wait-list alerts, and/or ordering online. Additionally, when sending or providing marketing materials, make sure to lead the customer to a digital touchpoint via QR code or URL. It’s great to include a detachable, physical coupon – but also important to provide a digital option. This way, no matter who your audience or their level of tech knowledge, they’ll be able to easily access your offer.

2. Augmented Reality Marketing:
Augmented reality has been and continues to be on the rise, especially when it comes to retail marketing practices. It’s become much more important for customers to not just see a product but to imagine the product on them or in their space. If it aligns with your target audience(s) and budget, think through how you can incorporate some sort of augmented reality into your marketing – whether that’s with a virtual app, a geofilter, or an in-store screen. Need ideas? Take a look at some of these augmented reality marketing examples.

3. Loyalty Programs:
Not only are these types of programs beneficial to customers – they’re also very useful for retailers. Loyalty programs build long-term relationships with faithful customers that will come back time and time again – and not just for the benefits, but because they believe your company cares for their individual allegiance. And, getting new customers to sign up for a rewards program right away is extremely helpful, as you acquire a ton of customer information up front that can be used for future outreach. It’s important to always have several ways for customers to join your program. Include a link, QR code, and/or a form to sign up on your direct mail, on your website, in-store, on receipts…the list goes on. The best part? Customers very rarely get annoyed by loyalty program communications, even if it’s the third or fourth time you’ve offered. Why? Because it’s a benefit to them!

4. Omnichannel Engagement:
It’s important to target retail customers with not only the right message, but at the right time, and in the right place. Depending on the variety of your audience, it’s possible you have some audience members that are more likely to communicate with your company through more “traditional” mediums, and others through more “modern” mediums. Think through the demographics, geographics, and even psychographics of your audience to understand where and when you should be connecting with them. Either way, multiple connection points with your current and potential customers will keep them engaged and make your brand more memorable.

5. Exclusive Experiences:
This kind of marketing can be a bit riskier than most, as whatever buzz your business creates (whether good or bad) will likely have an impact. However, marketing tactics such as exclusive drops, invite-only events, special release items, or “first-come-first-serve” items can be very effective and create a lot of conversation (again, we’re referring to WOM marketing) around your products or services. Just make sure you think through all the positives and negatives as well as possible outcomes and create the best plan of action so that all goes as smoothly as possible. To get the best possible showing at your event, release, or drop, be sure to promote it on both digital and physical marketing pieces – such as mailers, flyers, digital ads, and so on. Again, think through where your target audience is, and start there.

6. Campaigns, Challenges, and Contests with Similar Brands:
Another unique marketing tactic we’d suggest you try, if you have the right connection(s), is a crossover marketing campaign with another company with similar audience geographics, demographics, and psychographics, yet different offerings. For example, if you’re a budget gym, try partnering with a low-cost clothing (even better, gym clothing) retailer. Creating a campaign with this brand is beneficial in several ways, as you share a similar customer base, but on different verticals, helping both parties increase customer engagement and possibly gain new customers.

7. Take a Stand for a Social Cause:
What better way to meet new customers than because of a cause your company’s passionate about? Today’s consumers expect (and even appreciate and respect) when companies have opinions and will feel a much stronger connection and allegiance to your company if its opinions and beliefs align with theirs – whether those beliefs are centered around environmental protection, sustainability, food safety and distribution, equality, education, healthcare, etc. If your company shows active support for specific causes, new customers with aligned beliefs will follow. Of course, this tactic also comes with a bit of risk, but that risk is often simply a tradeoff. A lot of customers that don’t necessarily feel a long-term connection to your company, or fewer customers with aligned beliefs, are there for the long run. As we mentioned above, nurturing your customers is just as important in the retail industry as acquiring new ones. And, while the cost of acquiring new customers and nurturing existing ones can feel hefty, a strategic marketing partner can help you keep to your budget while creating and cultivating these important retail relationships. If you’re ready to increase the effectiveness of your retail marketing campaigns, click here, or contact our experts today.

Multichannel Recruitment in Just Three Steps

96% of people are looking for new jobs this year. If you have open positions to fill, now, more than ever, is the time to connect with a robust job market to find top talent to fill your open positions.

Connect with this segment of the workforce at the right place, at the right time, with the right messaging, through multichannel marketing.

Multichannel Marketing – A Quick Refresh

Multichannel Marketing is one of Strata’s areas of expertise – it combines direct and indirect communication channels to allow you to reach all your clients, prospects, and customers with a multifaceted campaign. Whether your potential or current customer prefers direct mail, social media, brick and mortar stores, or digital ads, multichannel marketing meets the end user where they are and allows them to act on their choice channel.

Before You Begin

We’ve talked about it before, but strong, cohesive design – from your direct mail to your digital ads – can give your campaign credibility and memorability. And with talent acquisition campaigns, specifically, you’re not only attracting new talent, but also building brand awareness and optimizing your budget.

Keep these stats in mind:

Clearly identify your audience prior to creating your campaign. And, when creating, make sure your campaign has eye-catching, clean graphics. If you utilize direct mail or another print medium, your message should be concise and include a clear next step – whether that’s to apply through a link or scan a QR code to find open positions.

Keep in mind that about 67% of job-applicants view openings and submit their applications through mobile platforms, so your campaigns, even if they include a physical channel, should also appear across and be optimized for digital. Keep messages that appear on digital channels short and sweet, as well.

Regardless of medium, make sure your recruitment messaging and creative is designed to fit well within whatever channel it’s on for maximize impact.

Multichannel Recruitment in Three Steps

1. Collect your data

Identify where individuals in your field are searching for jobs. Determine which channels to invest in – whether they’re LinkedIn, Facebook, Indeed, or somewhere else, you’ll want to have data and knowledge behind where you put most of your efforts. For example, 80% of job searches happen online and 79% of job seekers use social media to find openings.

2. Craft Your Campaign to Each Specific Channel

While your goal remains the same across the board, tailoring your message to each specific channel is key.

  • Digital platforms can support a plethora of different messaging. For example, social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter should focus on content that’s short and digestible. Include a link to the open position with a message along the lines of, “Join our team!”.
  • On job boards like LinkedIn, Zip Recruiter, and Indeed, it’s more fitting to provide a little more detail. There, you can include the contact for the position and give more information about your company.
  • If you’re looking for referrals from existing employees, providing a toolkit with verbiage and imagery for them to share openings with their network(s) is a simple way to engage and include them in the process.
  • Your company website’s also a great way to connect with individuals. Utilizing a pop-up on your home screen or a specific landing page linked to other media, you’re not only able to accept applications, but can get a sense of which platforms are performing best.
  • For any email components, ensure your HR, recruitment, and/or marketing team has been provided with the proper verbiage, voice, and templates to ensure they’re connecting with candidates while also maintaining brand and campaign consistency. You’ll want to make sure what your candidates receive through email matches what they’re able to view through a quick online search, and fits in with the other campaign materials they may be viewing or receiving elsewhere.
  • It’s also important to factor in your print marketing efforts. Regardless of where a candidate may interact with your messaging, it helps to have cohesive branding across the board. Your print marketing touchpoints could be a billboard, wrapped benches and buses with interactive media, and flyers put up around town near your office location(s). All should be connected with your other touchpoints and should likely include a shortened URL or QR code to apply. Whether long-form or short-form, be sure to include an overview of the location of the job (with the city and state, and whether it’s remote, hybrid, or fully on-site), the benefits that come with the position, and a small portion discussing professional development.

3. Launch Your Campaign!

By running a multichannel recruitment campaign, you’re able to monitor the metrics and ROI through reporting tools, such as Google Analytics, your own proprietary technology, or software available on the platforms you’re using, such as LinkedIn Insights. With a combination of several job boards, your company’s website, emails, desktop and mobile advertising, social media, and more, you’re able to connect with a wide pool of job seekers. If you choose a marketing partner, like Strata, you’re able to better target your audience of job seekers with a highly targeted multichannel campaign – based on their goals, backgrounds, skillsets, and more. It’s also helpful to have a team of experts behind your campaign to support your efforts and land your company with the best possible talent out there.

Looking Ahead

With so many job openings and job seekers, it’s important to meet potential, qualified, and talented employees where they are, at the right time, with the right message, and to give them the opportunity to respond or apply when and where works best for them. Not sure where to start?  Connect with our experts today to get started with your multichannel recruitment campaign.

A Strata YouTube Channel Original

Throughout our last few blog posts (and their corresponding YouTube videos), we’ve gone over the basics of new mover marketing, along with how to approach a new mover campaign and the best channels and workflows to reach new movers in different industries. When it comes to new mover marketing, it’s important to remember that tactics and incentives differ not only for each industry – but are unique to your specific business, as well. In this blog, we’ll go over how those in the grocery industry can create incentives that resonate with new movers.

A Quick Review of New Mover Marketing

To give you a brief refresher, new mover marketing is a specific, niche marketing tactic that’s designed to reach new residents in your area. It’s one of the most effective ways to bring in new customers that have just recently entered your specific target market. When it comes to new movers, they’re nobody’s customer, yet – so it’s an effective tactic to make a good first impression at the same time they’re looking for your product or service.

The Benefits of Incentives

Incentives can sometimes be perceived as a waste of time and/or money, but in our opinion, that’s often not the case. Why? They allow you to build a connection with your potential customer and invite them to consider your establishment – and maybe even become a regular, loyal customer. You’re showing them that you care about them and their possible loyalty, while presenting all that your business has to offer. Incentives help build a positive company image in the minds of new movers. By giving them a free gift (or other incentive) at the start of your business-customer relationship, you’re very quickly helping the potential customer to see your establishment in a positive light, and creating a favorable association in their mind between the gift and your company. Additionally, using incentives helps with your ROI, since spending a little is likely to get you a lot back in return.

The First Rule of Incentives

The big question is – how do I use incentives to get people to buy from my business? The answer is simple…by being generous! While you may be swayed to take the more inexpensive route to save a few dollars, that mindset’s not what generates ROI. It’s always better to give a little more up front in order to show customers you care about them – not just their money. Customers want to feel seen, heard, and special, and if you can’t/don’t make them feel that way, they’ll take their business elsewhere. By being generous right off the bat, you’ll stand apart from – and very likely ahead of, other similar establishments (your competitors).

New movers are a great segment to target because they’re willing to spend a lot (on average, $9,700) in their first 6 months of new homeownership. This spending is a lot more than already established homeowners. New movers are putting out a lot of money in order to get their new home up and running, so if they receive a free gift, they’ll likely be truly appreciative. Plus, they’re more likely to remember you and your generosity and be more inclined to spend their time and money at your establishment down the road. We know that 80% of new residents redeem offers or “freebies”, so it’s definitely worth the time and money to reach out and offer a gift, discount code, percentage off, or rewards program sign-up. Remember, the end goal is to gain life-long, loyal customers who will keep coming back time and time again.

What’s Next?

Now that you know the benefits of incentives, and the first rule of thumb for grocery industry giveaways, learn a bit more by heading over to our YouTube channel. You’ll listen to Connor, a member of Strata’s Strategic Sales Team, as he gives more detail on effective grocery industry incentives. If you’re ready to take the first new mover marketing steps with Strata, contact us today.

A Strata YouTube Channel Original

In our last few blogs (and their corresponding YouTube videos) we’ve gone over the basics of new mover marketing, how to choose the right partner, and some steps to get started. Now, it’s time to take a deeper dive into how you can specifically utilize new mover marketing in the grocery industry and what channels and workflows work best.

A Quick Review of New Mover Marketing

To give you a brief refresher, new mover marketing is a specific, niche marketing tactic that’s designed to reach new residents in your area. It’s one of the most effective ways to bring in new customers that have just recently entered your specific target market. When it comes to new movers, they’re nobody’s customer, yet – so it’s an effective tactic to make a good first impression at the same time they’re looking for your product or service.

What do New Residents Really Want?

To answer the question, new residents are looking for “reliables”. These are goods and/or services that new movers can depend on daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly. Since they’re new to the area, they’re usually unsure where to start. When it comes to grocery stores, sometimes there can be almost too many options for consumers to choose from. Because of this, you, as a grocery store, are in constant competition with other stores near you. That’s why it’s so important for your grocery store to be the first to reach out and make the consumer aware of your store – before competitors – and show them you’re close by. With immediate outreach, they’ll see you care, are convenient, and have quality goods.

The Best New Mover Channels for Grocers

We’ve deemed ourselves experts in new mover marketing all around – and we’re very practiced in some of the best channels and workflows for grocers (specifically) to reach new movers. One of the best channels you can take advantage of is direct mail. We know direct mail to be vital to the success of new mover campaigns, especially those of grocery stores. When mail is executed correctly, with personalization and attribution tactics, it can cut through all the digital noise and stand out in the mailbox. As we’ve mentioned in past blogs and videos, the average response rate for direct mail can be up to 50% more effective than those of email blasts, so it’s definitely worth your time and money!

Like we hinted at above, not all direct mail is created equal, so we suggest that those in the grocer industry send a “welcome handshake”. This is either a 6×9 or 6×10 postcard or bifold that allows your store to be introduced and represented in the best way possible. Again, the key to a good direct mail campaign is making sure it’s personable and actionable. With personalization and calls-to-action, you can welcome new movers to the neighborhood by first name and provide a personalized offer, which they can access by QR code or PURL. Another option? Provide a personalized coupon that they can redeem in-store, upon their first visit. If you want to go a step further in terms of personalization, include a map that shows the location of your store relative to their new residence. Generally, you want to make it as easy and enticing as possible for new movers to choose and visit your store.

What’s Next?

With this quick read, you now have a look into one of the top grocery industry channels to utilize for your next new mover campaign. But – it doesn’t stop there! We still have more suggestions when it comes to the best channels and workflows for grocery establishments like yours. Head over to our YouTube channel, where you’ll hear these suggestions from Connor, a member of Strata’s Strategic Sales Team. Or, if you’re ready to take these new mover marketing steps with Strata, contact us today.

A Strata YouTube Channel Original

In our past two blogs and their connected YouTube videos, we’ve given you a ton of basic information on new mover marketing. Now, it’s time to get into the first steps of starting a new mover marketing campaign. If you’re not super familiar with new mover marketing, it can be difficult to determine where and how to start, but we’ll lead you through the first things to do and ensure you’re well prepared.

A Quick Refresher on New Mover Marketing

To give a brief refresher, new mover marketing is a specific, niche marketing tactic that’s designed to reach new residents in your area. It’s one of the most effective ways to bring in new customers that have just recently entered your specific target market. When it comes to new movers, they’re nobody’s customer, yet- so you must make a good impression at the same time they’re looking for your product or service.

First, Answer the Question – Is a New Mover Campaign Right for Your Company?

New mover marketing is continually gaining popularity, and fast. It’s currently up 3% since last year, despite any economic rough patches. Why? Because people are always moving. Whether it’s for a new job, family changes, the need to start fresh, or anything else – and that will never change. When someone moves to a new area, they’re almost solely focused on unpacking, organizing, and settling in. They’ll heavily rely on word of mouth (WOM) marketing and other advertising to learn and figure out all their new go-to spots.

However, all this doesn’t mean that new mover marketing is fit for every business. It’s important to realize how (and if) your business can benefit from new mover marketing, and when another type of campaign would make more sense. At Strata, we typically say that if your product or service is needed within the first 6 months of a move, you should be targeting new movers. Anything within that 6-month mark would be something that new movers need in their day-to-day lives after a move. For example, think grocery stores, dentists, vets, salons – the list is endless. On the flip side, anything after that 6-month mark will typically be something they already own/have and are looking to buy new, now that they’re settled in. A good example of this? A new car. The majority of people don’t move to a new town and automatically search for and buy a new car. New mover marketing is all about the new movers’ priorities, so it’s important to understand where your business falls within those priorities.

Start with the Right Data

The use of data is incredibly important for new mover marketing, but it’s even more important to target the right people rather than all the people. You want your efforts to pay off – so sending new mover campaigns to residents who’ve already been established for years or have moved within the same zip code will more than likely be a waste of your time (and money). Sometimes, a smaller list will produce higher ROI, since you’re targeting actual, definite, new movers. Make sure you work with a reliable and well-versed company to ensure quality data over quantity of data. To learn more about the importance of quality over quantity, check out this blog.

What’s Next

Now you have the first few steps to starting your new mover campaign – but don’t stop there! In the video below, Connor, a member of our Strategic Sales Team at Strata, will go into the next set of steps you’ll take to create the best new mover marketing campaign possible. Check out the video by clicking below, and if you’re ready to take these first new mover marketing steps with Strata, contact us today.

Untrue & Debunked

With years of experience, we’d say we’re experts in direct mail marketing. But we’re not just the mail people. We provide highly impactful direct mail marketing that cuts through today’s digital noise to deliver a tactile experience and leave a lasting impression. That’s why we’re well versed in all of the misconceptions about direct mail floating around out there, and can tell you exactly why they’re untrue. Follow along as we debunk the 6 misconceptions of direct mail.  

Misconception 1: Direct mail is past its heyday

Once in a while, we hear people speculate and assume that direct mail is past its peak – but just because direct mail has stood the test of time, doesn’t make it outdated. It’s been around for a while for a reason, and has evolved and changed over time – with the times. In fact, in a recent IAB survey, six out of ten marketers prefer direct mail over other offline channels and still include it in their direct marketing strategy today. 

These days, direct mail breaks through the digital noise and is unique and different than other marketing tactics. It brings about nostalgia, as people enjoy the feeling of paper in their hands, similar to enjoying paperback books over kindles. Plus, for every 36 emails you receive (on average), you get 1 piece of mail in your mailbox. The possibilities are quite endless, with many exciting design opportunities and options. Really, direct mail is only boring and old if you make it that way. 

Misconception 2: Compared to other tactics, direct mail doesn’t provide ROI 

This one couldn’t be further from the truth. Don’t believe us? Here are just a few stats to back us up. The average lifespan of an email is 17 seconds, compared to direct mail’s average lifespan of 17 days. Up to 90% of direct mail gets opened, compared to only 20-30% of emails. Per USPS, 98% of people check their mail daily and Americans spend upwards of 30 minutes with their mail on a single occasion. Direct mail open rates can reach up to 42%. Recipients of direct mail also “purchase 28% more items and spend 28% more money than people who don’t get that same piece of direct mail.” Direct mail gets response rates 10 to 30 times higher than digital channels, according to the DMA (Direct Marketing Association). 

Basically, direct mail usually does very well in terms of ROI, and it can (and should) be tracked – so make sure you’re getting the most out of it by making it trackable with the use of digital touchpoints. 

Misconception 3: Direct mail marketing is expensive 

When people think of print, they sometimes think of high-cost, but that’s not always the case. If you have a quality list and are getting the most out of each mailer you send, direct mail won’t seem all that expensive. What do we mean by a quality list? If you’re sending to strategic, particular contacts – not just any contacts, your ROI will be worth the price. 

Additionally, print often gives you more for your money while other marketing practices alone may not (for example PPC, social media ads, email marketing platforms, and more). According to the stats, mail marketing is much more likely to be seen and paid attention to. 

Misconception 4: Millennials and younger don’t like or pay attention to direct mail 

Direct mail isn’t just effective for older audiences. Actually, 73% of American consumers (in general) say they prefer being contacted by brands via direct mail because they can read or review the information at their leisure. And, 41% of Americans of all ages look forward to checking their mail each day. 

Millennials, specifically, like to feel important and seen, so the personalization opportunities of direct mail make for great millennial marketing. To add to this, many millennials and Gen-Z-ers have digital fatigue and find taking a “break” with print to be often enjoyable, and it “should be no surprise that those raised on the internet are best able to tune out online ads.” They also have shown to have a lot more trust in print resources than in digital. 

Misconception 5: Direct mail works on its own and doesn’t integrate with other channels 

These days, direct mail is actually an excellent touchpoint among many, especially when conducting a multichannel marketing campaign. And, we’d even say that combining tactics, even if it’s just two, is usually the way to go. In a recent study, a whapping 68% of marketing respondents saw that combining digital and direct mail increased visits to their websites. 

So, how do you integrate physical with digital? By using a URL of a landing page or website, a PURL (personalized URL), BRC (business reply card), or a QR code. Any of these can be used to lead the viewer to a digital touchpoint. These can all also be used to measure attribution and better understand your target audience, and the emails and other information acquired from BRCs or online landing page forms can be used for email marketing, targeting customers with digital advertising, and sending further communication. 

Misconception 6: Direct Mail = Junk Mail 

Unlike junk mail, direct mail is focused, targeted, relevant, ROI-producing, and uses a quality send list. For more on why direct mail isn’t the same as junk mail, check out our blog, “Direct Mail vs. Junk Mail”, here. Strata can be a resource for direct mail with a surgically targeted list of prospects that are not only more likely to have a need for your project or service, but are also more likely to respond. 

Now that it’s a bit clearer that direct mail is relevant, effective, and can be a huge part of the bigger picture of a marketing strategy, you may be interested in giving direct mail marketing or multichannel marketing a try. If so, give us a call. 

That Will Interest Your Audience

In a few of our recent blogs, Buzzword Alert: Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) and The Pros and Cons of EDDM, we gave you insight into what EDDM is, as well as its pros, cons, and alternatives. In this blog, we’re going over the top 5 best EDDM campaign ideas – in the case that you do choose to go the EDDM route as a part of your marketing strategy.

An EDDM Refresh

USPS’ Every Door Direct Mail service is a blanketed mailing approach sent to all of the potential customers near your business (depending on the routes you choose). Utilizing the provided mapping tool, that provides demographic data information based on census reports, you can choose the routes you’d like your mail piece delivered. Additionally, you can schedule this delivery for whenever it makes sense for your business. The mail you send can be self-designed, or you can work with a company like Strata to design it effectively and professionally. Learn more about what EDDM is at this blog, or explore its pros and cons, here.

Now that we’ve given you a refresh on what EDDM is – let’s dive into some effective campaigns to get you the most ROI.

Campaign Idea 1: Generosity

One of the best ways to entice customers is to provide a generous discount or offer. Or, simply giving them a small something that’s free – whether it’s small and attached to your mailer or provided through a sign-up or scheduled meeting – goes a long way.

Nothing gets customers in the door more than coupons, price deductions, and rewards. Give them something to entice them to at least come in and give your business a chance – even if that’s just to get a discount or redeem an offer. It’s quite likely that once they’re in (as long as you provide good products and/or services), they’ll return.

Introducing free giveaways can pique customer interest, making them feel like you care and are willing to give them something for their attention and possible business. Plus, if the giveaway is received via an exchange, once they “sign up” or schedule a meeting, you’ll then have their information for future communication.

Campaign Idea 2: Urgency

Whether we like it or not, humans like to know what’s going on. You know the phrase – curiosity killed the cat. We get “FOMO” – the fear of missing out – more often than we’d like to admit. That’s why using a term like “save-the-date” is so effective. The potential customer will likely read the rest of the card, because they’ll want to know what’s going on in their area. When you create urgency, people feel that they need to be in-the-know and on-the-go. Obviously, you’ll need some sort of “event” to accompany this type of mailer, but it could be something as small and simple as a limited time discount week, days or day, or a grand opening or reopening.

Campaign Idea 3: Playfulness

Entertaining and playful campaigns do really well when it comes to EDDM. This could mean including a scratch off game, or poll to make the mailer interactive and exciting. Interactivity can get the customer’s attention, and maybe even cause them to feel somewhat invested in getting the answers, winning the prizes, or otherwise finding an end result.

Another way to energize your mailer? Maybe it includes some sort of pop-up upon unfolding. Or, try invisible ink, dye cuts, and other unique folds. Any of these options can help you stand out from the pack and bring out energetic playfulness in your potential customers.

Campaign Idea 4: Proximity

A great way to get customers through your doors is to emphasize how easy it is for them to do so. Focus your mailer around the idea of proximity and the ease of locating and entering your business. Be sure to include an easy-to-read map of your location(s), and add in words such as “close by”, “just an order away”, or, “just a few blocks away” if that’s possible and applicable. With this type of campaign, you can also include a limited time offer to compliment the proximity with urgency. For example, “Stop in for $10 off your order of $50, we’re right down the road”.

Campaign Idea 5: Simplicity

We’ve all heard the acronym KISS. A great campaign tactic is to keep it very simple. Most viewers don’t have the time to digest a whole mailer and all of its contents, so limited text and bold blocks of imagery and/or color can go a long way. Simply providing your store name, address, website, and some great photos and blocks of color can create mystery that speaks just as much as content. Maybe limit it to just one good coupon. This kind of mailer can create recognition and brand awareness without overloading the customer with information.

Like we’ve said before, EDDM is not for every company and its marketing strategy – but if you do choose EDDM for your next campaign, make sure you do it strategically and effectively by using one or two of the campaign ideas above. In general, don’t forget that every mailer should at the very least include contact information, a compelling call-to-action, and memorable branding.

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Is it the Right Option for You?

In a recent blog, we went over what Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is, some of its positives and negatives, as well as some alternatives. Today, we’re diving a bit deeper into EDDM’s pros and cons so that, when you’re ready to launch your next direct mail campaign, you’re able to choose wisely.

What is EDDM Again?

Every Door Direct Mail, (better known as “EDDM”) is a blanketed mailing approach sent through USPS to potential customers near your business (aka – all of your “neighbors” nearby). You can use USPS’ provided mapping tool to select a geographic area, while viewing some demographic data based on census reports such as age-range, household size, and income. With this data in mind, you can choose what mail routes you’d like your piece delivered to – and, you guessed it, your mail gets delivered to every door. You can schedule this delivery whenever you’d like, within the parameters of the postal office.

With EDDM, you have the option of either creating the mailer design yourself, or working with a company (like Strata) to create a design that’s effective and professional. And – when using EDDM, you have two options, EDDM Retail and EDDM BMEU.

What’s EDDM Retail?

EDDM Retail is a good option for small businesses, restaurants, realtors, and local political campaigns. With this choice, you can create an account, send 200-5,000 pieces per day, per zip code, and simply drop your mailings off to the post office. You don’t need a permit with this option, and you can easily pay online or at the post office. The cost is currently $0.20 per piece.

What’s EDDM BMEU?

EDDM BMEU, on the other hand, is a good option for larger volume mailings, as there’s no volume limit and you may send to several different zip codes. As you can imagine, it’s slightly more involved than retail. You’ll need to make a Business Customer Gateway account, acquire a bulk mailing permit, and drop off your mailers to a BMEU – a large USPS mail processing center. The current cost for EDDM BMEU can be “as low as $0.168 per piece.”

The Pros of EDDM

Now that you know your EDDM options, we’ll go over the pros and cons. First – the pros. If your marketing budget is low and you’re looking for something that won’t put much of a dent in it, EDDM mailing can be a worthwhile choice. You can avoid high postage rates, generally, and postage discounts are available for most. Additionally, if your mailing is small and you’re not too concerned about a wide geographic area, you can again save on postage by opting for EDDM.

EDDM can work well for general awareness campaigns – such as showcasing a small business’ grand opening, letting people know you’re running for office, hosting a special event at a restaurant, introducing yourself as a realtor…the list goes on. If you want the general public to know about you, EDDM can help you do just that. Just make sure your business and/or brand is apparent by using quality branding and imagery, your logo(s), memorable colors and fonts, and other elements that people will take note of and will recognize if they see them again. If you’re not sure how to do this or what to include, give us a call.

The Cons of EDDM

Although EDDM is a good service that works for a lot of use-cases, it has its downfalls. With EDDM, you’re unable to really target a specified audience based on significant data, such as interests and hobbies, life changes, environment, age, income, and so on. Yes – you can find an area where many of the people meet some of these criteria, but with Every Door Direct Mail – it’s sent to exactly what it sounds like – every door. You don’t have the option to add people in or take people out if they’re in the selected demographic area and on the chosen mail routes. Therefore, you’re likely wasting paper, production, and money on people who have zero interest in your product, service, or event. You could be reaching out to people who fail to check their mail regularly, see your mailer and throw it out immediately, read it over and have no need or interest, or worse, are offended by your offering or service. What do we mean? Here are a few examples of what we liked to call “fail mail”:

  • A BBQ restaurant flyer sent to a house of vegans
  • A retirement home postcard sent to a couple in their twenties
  • A daycare service mailer sent to someone single with no children
  • A car dealership flyer sent to an eco-friendly bicyclist

Whether the “potential customer” doesn’t see it, throws it out, doesn’t want it, or is offended by it, the mailer was a waste of time, printing, and money.

On the other hand – maybe your mailer will actually interest most of your audience and you’re sending it to a large target area. Awesome! But – if your EDDM campaign is too large, you risk offsetting postage cost savings with extra production processing. Plus, paper costs right now are higher than normal due to the shortage, which could mean that printing and mailing to every door could cost you more than the response is worth.

Finally, EDDM does not provide the option to truly personalize your mailers. And, if you’ve read any of our other blogs, you know that personalization is a large part of direct mail success. In fact, a personalized CTA has been found to increase conversions by 78.5%. Without including a name, interest, favorite product, specialized offer, or personalized URL and QR code, your response rate is likely to suffer. If the mailer isn’t linked to anything else and doesn’t lead them anywhere personally specific, it’s not nearly as enticing or effective.

Next time you’re looking to send a mailer out to potential customers, fans, voters, guests, and so on, you may want to use EDDM (depending on your budget and needs), but as experts in the industry, we can say that there is often a more targeted strategy, like new mover marketing or multichannel marketing, that may work better. If you’re ready to get started on your next direct mail campaign, we’re here to help. Simply get in touch.

What You Need to Know

In today’s world of marketing, we’re constantly surrounded by buzzwords – both old and new. As we evolve and keep up with the newest technology and trends, these buzzwords evolve as well. Yet, some buzzwords – like “Every Door Direct Mail”, otherwise known as EDDM, have stood the test of time for quite a while. In this blog, we’re breaking down this buzzword, walking you through its positives and negatives, and explaining when your company should or shouldn’t use it.

What is EDDM?

Every Door Direct Mail (better known as EDDM) from USPS is a blanketed mailing approach sent to potential customers near your business. USPS utilizes a mapping tool that holds demographic data based on census reports, such as age-range, household size, and income. Factors like these can help your company choose the routes you’d like to deliver your mail piece(s) to. Additionally, you can schedule that delivery for any time mail gets delivered.

You may create the mailer yourself, but it’s recommended you work with a company (like Strata) to help you design both professionally and effectively. The USPS website states, “Based on your unique business needs, either create an EDDM mailing yourself or get help with any part of the mail design, printing, preparation, and drop-off process using USPS affiliate vendors or find a local printer in the USPS Printer Directory.”

What Does it Cost?

The cost of EDDM varies, but it’s usually a lower cost option for marketing mail (which we’ll go over later on in this blog). You first have to choose between two options, EDDM Retail and EDDM BMEU, which you can read more in-depth about, here. The costs associated with these options are as follows:

  • EDDM Retail® USPS Marketing Flats – $0.20 per piece
  • EDDM BMEU USPS Marketing Mail Flats – as low as $0.168 per piece

What’s Good About EDDM?

EDDM is a good option to have if your marketing budget is low. It’s also possible to use it as a marketing test-run to see what audience members are most likely to respond to your communication (especially if you don’t have the budget for reporting).

It’s most often used for generalized, non-specific marketing awareness or brand campaigns. If you simply want to get the word out there – to anyone and everyone about your business, EDDM is an option to consider. Using EDDM can help you to avoid high postage rates, as long as you have a smaller print job in one geographic area.

Why Should I Consider Not Using EDDM?

EDDM definitely comes with its trade-offs. With it, you’ll lose the ability to target individuals based on very specified credentials, and won’t have as much leeway when it comes to time-to-market. Additionally, if your EDDM campaign is too large the cost savings you’d get with postage would be practically meaningless due to the increase in production processing. Lastly, EDDM doesn’t give you any options in terms of personalization – which, if you’ve read some of our blogs, you know is important in direct mail campaign effectiveness and ROI.

What are the Alternatives?

Before using EDDM, think through other ways you can get your message across, and who you’re trying to get that message to. Instead of using a blanketed geographic approach, you may want to try a more specified campaign like our SmartMove services (personalized, multi-touch mail that’s sent specifically to new movers). This way, you can better pin-point your audience, and provide a better experience to those who receive your mail.

Or, maybe the best marketing strategy for your company isn’t even mail at all, or is mail that includes a digital touchpoint. A more multichannel campaign could be your answer.

EDDM isn’t for every company and its marketing strategy – but as experts in the industry, we can say that it works for some companies. Yet, there are many times a more targeted strategy, like our new mover marketing options, will work better. Wondering how you can get started on your next direct mail or multichannel campaign? We’re here to help. Simply contact us whenever you’re ready.