Six Different Ways Consumers Can Engage with Direct Mail

If you’re looking for direct mail innovation, look no further. Here are six ways the DirectMail.io integration can create more engagement to your current direct mail offering. 

Why Direct Mail?

If you’re currently running direct mail campaigns consistently, you can skip to the next section…unless you’d like to pull a few nuggets to help you sell, be my guest.

Direct mail is legit, and it’s making a huge comeback. I wrote all about the comeback of direct mail in my post “Direct Mail Is Dead” and I assure you, it has got a stronger pulse than most marketing channels. Is direct mail for every company? Maybe not. Sometimes the cost is hard to swallow for a smaller business, and if you don’t have the correct tools in place or the right strategy, you’re wasting time and money.

Benefits of using Direct Mail

• Direct mail response rates are continuing to increase. (ana.net)
• Direct mail gets opened and read
• Direct mail is personal and tangible
• Direct mail is highly targetable
• Direct mail builds trust through branding
• Direct mail has more creative options and formats
• Direct mail can be highly trackable with at least 6 options to engage consumers

Six ways to engage direct mail recipients

Six? Yes, six. If you haven’t taken a look at the technology that DirectMail.io has created in the past few months, this post can be your crash course. At any time, feel free to schedule a demo and we will be happy to show off any aspects of the software that you feel will give you the leverage needed to create better campaigns and acquire more clients. Also remember, the following engagement tools just scratch the surface. We also integrate outbound email, SMS, Facebook, Instagram, and more to create a consistent marketing message from one place. 

Purls and Landing Pages

This is pretty common today when using variable printing. Our integration allows a printer partner to print custom, personalized URLs so when a customer types it in, they are given a custom experience with a personal website (landing page). All of our landing pages are optimized for mobile so that you can maximize your lead opportunity regardless of where the consumer decides to respond to your message. 

Live Call Center

We have an internal call center ready to answer calls based on pre-set scripts. They are highly trained and skilled at the art of setting appointments. They can learn any industry really quickly and have been very popular in the automotive segment. Each tracking phone number will come with a unique code to help the call center identify the recipient and push data and insight back into the marketing CRM in real-time.

Integrated Voice Response (IVR)

Our Integrated Voice Response system was initially developed as a more cost-effective alternative to the call center. We created an intelligent voice agent that we named “Salli” that can assist in answering every call that comes in from your campaign, 24/7. Our built-in survey tool allows Salli to have conditional answers based on how consumers respond. Remarkably enough, Salli has been out-performing our live call-center setting appointments on several different campaigns. We’re not sure if it’s her demeanor, consistency, or just simple work-ethic that is proving the positive results, but we’re happy to provide her services on any direct mail campaign.

SMS Two-Way Engagement

Update: Watch a video showing exactly how it works

Our platform allows consumers to text a specific code to a tracking number that generates an automated response. Sounds simple enough, but the beauty of it is that because it’s in our system, all responses can be monitored and communicated with directly from our engagement dashboard. You also have the option to turn on the survey tool, allowing the consumer to walk through a conditional survey just like a conversation, gathering valuable information and insight on the consumer. Learn all about our SMS options.

Home Voice Devices

DirectMail.io was the first to integrate with Amazon Alexa and Google Home to create a way for consumers to respond to direct mail by using their voice. We print simple instructions on the mailer that direct the consumer to say, “Alexa, launch Direct Mail” the home voice device takes over and identifies the responder, gathers insight, and can even send video and confirmations to their phone after they leave the conversation. With the popularity of home devices growing so rapidly, this will be an exciting option to offer your clients directly. See more about this integration.

Facebook Messenger

Much like SMS, Facebook Messenger has a huge response rate and is gaining a lot of traction since they updated the messenger platform in April of this year. The recent update allowed the DirectMail.io platform to integrate directly with a printed mailer. The application is so easy to use, consumers simply use the camera app and point it to a QR code on the mailer. Facebook Messenger opens up and the conversation starts. All of the data gets funneled directly into the DirectMail.io engagement dashboard.  Take a closer look at how it integrates.

Either way you cut it, if you’re doing direct mail correctly, you understand the value of this marketing channel. Adding these tools to create more ways for customers to engage will allow you to become a versatile player in the direct mail space. Easily create more opportunities without sacrificing price or increasing overhead. When you’re ready to take the next step to see if DirectMail.io is the right platform for you, contact us.