Direct mail isn’t just back. It’s a game-changer, especially when you mix it with powerful digital marketing strategies. Think of it as two superheroes collaborating to deliver results they simply can’t achieve when working separately.
- Captain Direct (Direct Mail): This superhero commands attention with a physical, high-impact approach. His very physicality is what helps you break through the digital clutter, inviting recipients to stop, touch, and engage.
- Digital Crusader (Digital Marketing): Moving at lightning speed, this superhero leverages analytics and AI to deliver hyper-targeted messages to the right person at the perfect moment and in the right place – email inboxes, LinkedIn feeds, search results, you name it.
Of course, combining the power of digital and traditional marketing isn’t a new idea. But, with all that’s possible today, what if you really pushed the limits of what these two superheroes can accomplish when they team up for your most high-stakes missions? You might be amazed at the increase in responses and conversions!
B2B trends and tools
Today, you have an abundance of tools that can help you achieve outstanding results from your marketing efforts, especially when you combine direct and digital. The ways you can use them to meet your business goals, it seems, are limited only by your imagination. Let’s explore what happens when the two superheroes work together:
- Incorporate direct mail into your ABM campaigns. Captain Direct isn’t just a sidekick. When direct mail is integrated into account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns – personalized direct mail combined with LinkedIn message outreach and personalized landing pages, for example – you’re able to target high-value accounts with personalized messages to achieve the best ROI. Studies have shown that combining digital and direct mail in ABM campaigns can increase response rates up to 2-3 times, compared with campaigns that rely solely on digital outreach.
Scenario: A B2B software company charges Captain Direct with the mission to deliver a personalized mailing, while Digital Crusader sends LinkedIn messages to the C-suite at its top 10 target prospects. A QR code links to landing pages on the company’s website customized to the needs of each prospect. These unstoppable forces increase engagement and ROI and turn these high-value prospects into long-term allies.
- Retarget direct mail recipients with personalized LinkedIn ads. Now you can follow up personalized offers delivered via direct mail with LinkedIn ads targeted exclusively to the direct mail recipients using LinkedIn Campaign Manager’s retargeting capabilities. You reinforce your direct mail message and stay top of mind with recipients. Retargeting campaigns can yield a tenfold increase in clickthrough rates and a 147% increase in average conversion rates. One study found that retargeting ads can boost awareness by as much as 1,046!
Here's an actual real-world case: A B2B software company sent direct mail pieces with personalized offers, followed by LinkedIn ads. The multichannel approach increased conversion rates by 40%.
- Combine programmatic direct mail with digital. Why not use the customer data you already have to create highly customized direct mail – and combine it with digital channels like email and social media to reinforce the message and track engagement? Programmatic direct mail, which combines the personalization of direct mail with the targeting and automation of programmatic advertising, typically yields response rates between 2.7-4.4%. Combining it with digital follow-up can increase response rates by 28% or more, compared with direct mail alone.
Scenario: A digital health technology manufacturer sends Captain Direct to deliver a personalized postcard with a QR code to key hospital decision makers, then follows up with a sequence of emails offering additional product details, landing pages with personalized demos, and retargeting ads. By working together at each touchpoint in the campaign, the two superheroes can achieve higher engagement and response rates than if they perform independently.
- Incorporate NFC into your direct mail to launch a digital experience. With near field communication (NFC), you can embed a small sticker or chip into your direct mail pieces, which recipients can scan with a mobile device to launch a digital experience like a video.
Scenario: A cloud computing company dispatches Captain Direct to deliver a postcard with a “TAP HERE” icon designed to be tapped with an NFC-enabled phone. Digital Crusader then takes the recipient to a personalized landing page featuring cloud solutions designed for the recipient’s industry.
- For even more drama, add AR to your direct mail. Why not call on one of today’s newest superpowers - augmented reality (AR)? You can create AR experiences for recipients based on their company data. In this way, you combine direct mail with computer-generated content with which users engage on their mobile devices. Some studies have shown that the immersive experience created by direct email with AR has increased engagement rates by up to 40%, with clickthrough rates of 85% and more, compared with traditional direct mail—also higher conversion rates and sales.
Scenario: Forget X-ray vision or invisibility. When AR joins the mission, you can really provide your prospects with a unique experience. Think of what would happen if, for example, an industrial machinery manufacturer mails a brochure with a special marker that the recipient scans with a smartphone, triggering a virtual visualization of how the equipment would fit and function within his facility. Talk about a wow factor!
At The Balans Group, we’re working with these two superheroes to help you achieve your 2025 marketing goals. Let us help you see how Captain Direct and Digital Crusader can transform your marketing? Why not schedule a free consultation with us today?
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