Mail Meets the Web

1. Mail Meets the Web Keeping Direct Mail Relevant in an Online World Dave Lewis, President SnailWorks

2. Do your response rates look like this?

3. Do your response rates look like this?

4. Direct Mail: The Essential Channel Postal mail still has some important advantages that no other channels share…

5. Direct Mail: The Essential Channel Targetability Market Penetration Exclusivity The Mail Moment Perceived Value

6. Direct Mail Limitations Still, direct mail has its limitations…

7. Direct Mail Limitations Lacks State-of-the-art buzz Unpredictable delivery time Expensive Requires effort to respond

8. Multi-Channel Solution Tying in other marketing channels can overcome direct mail’s limitations

9. New Channels • Email Marketing • Web Marketing • Social Media

10. Email Marketing • Strengths: • Cheap • Precisely timed • Allows for immediate response with a click • Very measurable • Weaknesses: • Cheap – low perceived value • Permission based • Low open rates • Difficult to get lists or target

11. Web Marketing • Strengths: • Responsive – Prospects can buy there • Controllable – You control every element of the site • Your brand lives here • Weaknesses: • Getting eyeballs – a billboard in the basement • Not focused on a particular offer

12. Social Media • Strengths: • It’s everywhere! Great reach • Very low media cost • High-tech, up-to-date • Weaknesses: • Passive - Inbound • High maintenance • Always changing

13. Multi-Channel Helps • Direct mail drives a broad spectrum of prospects to the web • Coordinated email can help simplify and boost response • Coordinated email offers a simplified path for response – just click

14. Rules and Tools Effective multi-channel marketing is all about using the right tools and setting business rules

15. The Building Blocks of Multi-Channel

16. Intelligent Mail & Mail Tracking • Intelligent Mail is a Postal Service program that uses a special barcode (the Intelligent Mail barcode, or IMb) • The IMb consists of: • A Barcode ID – identifies the type of barcode • A service type ID – tells the barcode what to “do” • A mailer ID – Identifies the mail owner or preparer • A serial number – a “license plate” for the mail piece • The ZIP+4 and delivery point – where it’s going!

17. Intelligent Mail & Mail Tracking • Why Intelligent Mail? • Needed to secure postal discounts • Allows delivery tracking of mail • Coordinate other marketing • Just know it got there! • Provides for other services: • ACS - Address Change Service • Returned/forwarded mail

18. Email Marketing • Email marketing is groups of email sent to a list that has given permission to send email • Email is regulated by CAN/SPAM laws • Two primary styles: • HTML: With images • Text • Two distribution methods: • Email blast • Triggered email

19. Email Marketing • Why Email as part of a Multi-Channel campaign? • Reinforces direct mail message and branding • Offers another channel to those who do not receive/read direct mail • Provides an easy way to respond – just click! • Inexpensive – easy to add additional efforts

22. PURLS, GURLS, and QRURLS • A URL is a Uniform Resource Locator • Generally links to campaign landing page • PURL: Personalized URL • DaveLewis.PromptEvents.net • GURL: General or “Guest” URL • www.PromptEvents.net • QRURL: QR code URL – Optimized for mobile

23. PURLS, GURLS, and QRURLS • Why PURLs, GURLs, and QRURLs? • Make it easy to find your landing page • Make it easy to find your offer • Make it easy to respond • Prepopulate forms – especially valuable on mobile • Track, track, track! • Exactly who has visited!

24. Landing Pages • A Landing Page is a web page created specifically for the campaign/offer – sometimes called a micro-site • Typically reflects the branding of the direct mail and email marketing efforts • Leads directly to the offer – may be prepopulated • May or may not reflect branding from company web site

25. Landing Pages • Why a Landing Page? • Specific to offer – prospect doesn’t need to look for offer • Easy to respond – can be prepopulated • Measurable – you know how many came to the page, and who responded • Specific to campaign – can be personalized, varied by segment, location

29. Social Media • Social Media is generally the building of networks and communities on digital sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others • Can be used to generate additional activity to landing page • Provides means of viral sharing of marketing efforts

30. Social Media • Why Social Media? • Low media cost • Tremendous potential audience • Particularly effective with young market • Viral potential

32. Getting Started Deploying your own Multi-Channel Campaign!

33. Getting Started with Multi-Channel Think like a flow chart

34. Flowchart the Campaign

35. Getting Started with Multi-Channel Start with a plan – and a strong offer

36. Getting Started with Multi-Channel Select a great GURL: HailTheSnail.com FNW2013.org May14seminar.com

37. Getting Started with Multi-Channel • Coordinate • Execute • Measure • Adjust

38. Measure, Measure, Measure

39. Measure, Measure, Measure

40. Directing the Process • Direct Mail people, meet the Email and Web folks!

44. Actual response data DIRECT MAIL RESPONSE Other 16.95% Web 6.42% Other Mail 13.45% Telemarketing 1.84% Renewal Mail 61.34%

45. Questions???