Want to know how to use data analytics in direct mail marketing? It can be a great way to gain key insights and help with future decision-making. In this blog post, we explore all there is to know surrounding data analytics and how they can be integrated into direct mail marketing to support the performance of marketing campaigns. 

• What is direct mail marketing?

• What are data analytics?

• Data analytics and direct mail: How does it work

• The benefits of utilising data analytics in direct mail marketing 

• 3 Ways to use data analytics in direct mail marketing 

• Data-driven direct mail at Direct Mail Systems 

What is Direct Mail Marketing? 

With more and more weight put on digital marketing, direct mail marketing is often put on the back burner. A traditional form of marketing that dates back to the 19th century, direct mail marketing encompasses a range of approaches, including postcards, flyers and brochures. 

Direct mail is distinguishable as it directly targets consumers but delivers these via postal mail, engaging the targeted market segment through tangible and personalised campaigns. This physical connection between consumer and business creates a heightened sense of authenticity and connection and is one of the many reasons that direct mail proves effective time and time again. The psychological impact that this direct connection has on the consumer has been widely explored and the positive correlation is visible from the high engagement rates. The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) outlines that direct mail drives 92% of recipients to engage with a business’ online platform. 

More and more businesses are recognising how paramount it is to highly target an audience, and effectively engage them with their marketing campaign and are turning to direct mail to do the job. 

What are Data Analytics? 

Data analytics can be understood as the processing of reviewing data to understand your audience in greater depth. Data analytics will help to uncover meaningful insights, patterns and trends which act as crucial information for future business performance, by measuring certain KPIs such as conversion, deliverability and ROI. This information can be used to inform future decision-making and strategy formulation. 

Marketing data analytics involves the whole process, from collecting data to analysis and interpretation. The information centres around consumer behaviour, preferences, demographics and interactions with marketing campaigns. Data analytics help businesses gain a greater understanding of their audience and subsequently refine marketing strategies to increase efficacy and improve ROI on these campaigns. 

Data Analytics and Direct Mail: How Does it Work 

Integrating data analytics with direct mail, an age-old strategy that continues to prove highly effective, presents businesses with an opportunity to deliver accurately targeted and impactful campaigns. These opportunities include the personalisation of campaigns and targeting recipients with greater precision. 

The information revealed by data analytics is used to tailor the future content, design and distribution of direct mail pieces to resonate more effectively with recipients. This is possible given businesses can understand their market segment in greater depth based on a series of data-driven insights such as demographics, purchasing behaviour or psychological profiles. 

The benefits of accurate market segmentation are vast. One of the greatest benefits that accurate market segmentation, from data analytics, can have is that it ensures resources are used much more effectively and presents a lucrative opportunity to enhance brand loyalty by delivering personalised marketing campaigns. 

The Benefits of Utilising Data Analytics in Direct Mail Marketing

Harnessing data analytics and successfully employing these in direct mail marketing campaigns can have several benefits. These include: 

Measuring the Effectiveness of Campaigns

Data analytics can reveal useful information on the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Gaining an understanding of what resonates with your audience means future strategies can be tailored more accurately to ensure maximum impact. 

Increase ROI

Understanding your audience presents an opportunity for greater ROI. Whilst some businesses may be hesitant to produce direct mail due to production costs, data analytics can help mitigate the initial overhead costs of direct mail by giving insight into the type of content that is likely to be best received by recipients and lead to high conversion rates. 

Improved Brand Loyalty 

Another benefit of implementing data analytics into direct mail campaigns is the opportunity to learn more about our audience and therefore build long-lasting relationships between consumers and brands. Sending out relatable and personalised campaigns, based on data analytics-driven insights can result in customers resonating more with the brand, fostering a greater sense of community and belonging.  

3 Ways to Use Data Analytics in Direct Mail Marketing

It is more important than ever that businesses ensure they incorporate data analytics into their direct mail marketing campaigns to enable data-backed decision-making. Three of the best ways that this can be done are as follows: 

1. Personalised Campaigns 

Businesses should leverage data analytics to deliver personalised marketing campaigns to recipients. This will involve looking at recipient purchasing preferences and past purchasing or engagement with your brand. Approaching your direct mailing strategy in this way enhances the likelihood of sales conversion. 

2. Audience Segmentation 

We have already explored the best way to get an accurate understanding of your audience is through audience segmentation, driven by data analytics. By gaining an understanding of the unique characteristics of each of your market segments, direct mail campaigns can be personalised to ensure specific segment recipients resonate more with campaigns.

3. Predictive Modelling 

Predicative analytics allows businesses to predict future consumer behaviour and identify potential prospects for direct mail campaigns. This is a further effective way of using data analytics in your wider direct mail marketing strategy. 

Data-Driven Direct Mail at Direct Mail Systems 

At DMS, we are an experienced direct mail house who can support you throughout your entire campaign. We have state-of-the-art machinery and technology to ensure a high-quality product every time and have a variety of data services aimed at streamlining and optimising your direct mail campaigns to ensure maximum results. 

Enquire today, by clicking here to get a free quote.