What is Direct Mail?

What is Direct Mail?

What is real? This question has plagued philosophers and stoned high schoolers alike for generations; things seem to have varying degrees of reality. Our dreams are real, because we experienced them, but they aren’t real, because we can’t remember them, refer back to them or navigate them meaningfully while they’re being experienced. Memories, too, are real, but in the same insubstantial way. To make something seem more real, it seems useful to add a tangible element to the experience; something tactile, that can be felt, smelled, moved and manipulated. Direct Mail makes your marketing real.

Direct mail is, in essence, a marketing strategy that leverages the tangibility of mail and the infrastructure of Canada Post (and other postal services) in order to reach your target audience. It can take the form of flyers, coupon books, brochures, postcards; almost any promotional material you can imagine can be sent through direct mail. According to Canada Post, 74% of Canadians responded that they always or sometimes notice direct mail advertising. That number goes up when you start to personalize; 86% of Canadians open mail that is directly addressed to them.

There are several innovative ways you can make your direct mail campaign more noticeable. First, you’ll want to utilize the population that opens mail addressed to them by making sure your promotional materials have the individual’s name and addresses front and centre. Canada Post has tools that can help you do this, and your Winnipeg printing company can use variable data printing (VDP) in order to get each individual’s information on everything you send out. VDP can also be used to customize your postcards or other printed materials with images that match the demographic and psychographic profile of the individual receiving the mail; with that level of personalization, they’re bound to be curious about what you have to offer!

Using one of Canada Post’s partners to direct mail, you can gain access to Canada Post’s incredible database. Canada Post has data and targeting experts to help you find postal codes that match your mail-outs target audience; that means if you don’t have enough data, and are looking for acquisition, Canada Post can guide you towards new customers. If you do already have the data, and want to send personalized mail outs to established customers, direct mail can help with that, too. You can also go for a broad approach to acquisition: Canada Post has a tool that enables you to send mail to every house in a given neighborhood. This can be particularly useful for a local business trying to stir up interest; a new restaurant or specialty shop might find Neighborhood Mail perfect.

Whether you’re trying to acquire new clientele, get important information on demographics, or trying to retain loyal customers, Direct Mail has something for you. Take advantage of what’s real, find a Canada Post partner, and get your direct mail campaign going!