From Inbox to Mailbox: 5 Direct Mail Strategies for Tech Marketers to Boost Engagement

As we wade deeper into the digital era, it's ironic — yet not surprising — to see the rising appeal of direct mail in B2B and technology marketing. Amid the clutter of online ads, email campaigns, and social media blasts, we've seen direct mail emerge as a unique strategy to break through the noise and command attention.

According to a 2022 ANA/DMA Response Rate Report, direct mail response rates stand at 4.9% for prospect lists and 9% for house lists. These figures significantly outperform digital channels, making direct mail a potent tool in the B2B marketing playbook arsenal. Even within the tech industry, where one might anticipate a greater reliance on digital strategies, direct mail has secured its footing.

A 2023 USPS report revealed that B2B marketers, including tech companies, have been increasingly incorporating direct mail into their marketing mix, with 65% of tech marketers now using direct mail regularly.

The reason for this shift is clear. Direct mail adds a human touch to the conversation, something that is often lost in digital communication. It provides a tangible representation of your brand that recipients can touch and feel. Moreover, it shows that you're willing to invest in reaching your audience, which can make a big difference in how your message is received.

However, we often remind our customer that, like any other marketing strategy, direct mail needs to be used strategically and thoughtfully. Let's delve into five distinct playbooks where we consider direct mail for lead generation, account-based marketing, and sales enablement.

5 power direct mail playbooks 🚀

1. Layering direct mail into a digital B2B lead generation strategy

Objective: Boost your digital campaigns with a human touch. Utilizing direct mail can make your lead generation efforts more memorable and personal, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.

When to Use: This playbook is ideal when you're dealing with a digitally saturated market or when your digital campaigns are performing well, but you're looking for that extra push to enhance engagement and conversion rates.

Tactics:

• Start with a digital ad campaign, perhaps targeting key personas or focusing on specific business pain points your solution addresses. Personalized video works great here.
• Send direct mail to engaged leads with a unique offer. This could be a personalized whitepaper, an industry report, or a branded piece of merchandise. Something that reminds them of your business long after they've received the mail.
• Follow-up with an email reiterating the unique value proposition and checking if they received the direct mail.
• Initiate a sales call discussing the offer and their requirements in more detail.

Key Metrics: Lead volume and quality, conversion rates, ROI.

2. Heightening ABM impact with direct mail

Objective: Elevate your ABM strategy's impact by leveraging the power of direct mail. Customized direct mail packages can illustrate that you understand your target account's unique needs, thereby strengthening your value proposition and fostering a deeper relationship.

When to Use: This strategy works best when you're dealing with high-value accounts that need personalized, tangible outreach to push them further down the sales funnel.

Tactics:‍

• Initiate contact with a personalized email to target accounts, which could include relevant insights or unique value proposition. This is another great place for personalized video.
• Send a custom direct mail package upon engagement. This package could include solutions to their problems, industry-specific information, or exclusive offers tailored to their needs. Include an offer for the demo or deep-dive with a landing page destination for scheduling meeting.
• Follow-up with a call to discuss the contents of the direct mail package and align your solution with their needs.
• Conduct a sales presentation, possibly a demo or deep-dive into how your solution can solve their problems.

Key Metrics: Conversion rates within target accounts, revenue from target accounts.

3. Building anticipation with direct mail

Objective: Stimulate curiosity and interest among high-value prospects. A teaser mail can intrigue and engage your prospects, and a follow-up with a more valuable offer upon a meeting can incentivize them to move further in the sales process.

When to Use: This playbook comes into play when you're dealing with prospects that require an extra nudge to convert them into leads or when you're introducing a new product or service that needs a creative promotional strategy.

Tactics:

• Send a teaser direct mail with a less valuable but intriguing item (the carrot), perhaps a sample of your product, a piece of a more valuable giveaway (i.e. sunglasses case with no sunglasses)or a puzzle related to your services.
• Follow-up email offering a more valuable item offer (the payoff) upon booking a meeting, such as a the rest of the gift plus a comprehensive guide, exclusive access to a service, or a significant discount. Include a landing page for scheduling the follow up meeting.
• Conduct the meeting, delivering the promised value and further introducing your products or services.
• Follow-up with a digital thank you note, perhaps accompanied by a unique offer or a call to action.

Key Metrics: Number of meetings booked, conversion rates, deal size.

4. Strengthening sales leads through direct mail

Objective: Foster trust and robust relationships with leads. Personalized and educational content can establish your brand as a thought leader, showing that you are invested in providing value, thereby nurturing leads and guiding them to conversion.

When to Use: This strategy is perfect for when you're nurturing leads that show high potential and would benefit from a more personalized attention that goes beyond digital interactions.

Tactics:

• Initiate digital contact, such as through a webinar invite or a personalized email sharing relevant content.
• Send a direct mail piece containing personalized and educational content, like a book on a topic related to their industry or a unique report showcasing your industry expertise.
• Follow-up email offering additional insights, perhaps sharing exclusive research or additional resources they might find valuable.
• Propose a consultative call, focusing on their specific challenges and showcasing how your solutions can help.

Key Metrics: Conversion rate, lead-to-customer ratio, time to conversion.

5. Fortifying customer loyalty with direct mail

Objective: Enhance customer retention and increase customer lifetime value. By integrating direct mail into your customer retention strategy, you can add a personal touch that reinforces the customer’s connection with your brand and encourages further engagement.

When to Use: This playbook is key when you're focusing on improving customer loyalty or upselling/cross-selling to existing customers, particularly if customer retention rates need a boost.

Tactics:

• Initiate email communication, perhaps sharing updates, new features, or case studies demonstrating how others are benefitting from your solutions.
• Send a thank you or anniversary direct mail, such as a card, branded merchandise, or an exclusive gift.
• Follow-up email with an exclusive offer, like a discount on a renewed subscription or early access to new features.
• Conduct a customer satisfaction survey to gauge their experience and collect feedback to improve your services.

Key Metrics: Customer churn rate, customer lifetime value, upsell/cross-sell revenue.

Direct mail: Adapt and innovate

In today's highly digital landscape, direct mail offers a refreshing and surprisingly effective way to reach, engage, and convert your target audience. However, the key to success lies in strategically using direct mail at the right time and in the right context. By adopting the above playbooks, you can turn this often-overlooked channel into a powerful weapon in your marketing arsenal.

As the importance of direct mail continues to rise in B2B and technology marketing, it’s essential to adapt and innovate. Direct mail isn't about abandoning digital tactics; it's about finding the right blend of both to drive the most value. And as the statistics and strategies suggest, there's no better time to start than now.

By making direct mail a strategic part of your marketing mix, you're not only differentiating your brand, but you're also creating a more holistic, memorable, and impactful customer experience. Remember, when executed correctly, direct mail has the power to cut through the digital clutter and deliver your message directly into the hands of your audience. And in an era where every touchpoint matters, that's an opportunity you can't afford to miss.

At Mighty & True, we have an entire playbook full of ABM and other tech marketing plays. Keep in touch with the latest in tech marketing by signing up for our Drag & Drop newsletter below 👇
or by checking out some of our past work. Hit us up if you want to kick around any or all of these ideas for your next high-impact campaign!

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