Most research articles in today’s marketing world will provide you with details about direct mail marketing versus online advertising. What if you could combine the power of both to achieve your goals? Now you can!

The true power of a great marketing campaign is one that repeats your message multiple times in front of a specific target market. In a world when the consumer must see you on average 7 times before even recalling your brand name, this can be expensive when using only traditional marketing programs.

With new technology like Response Builder by Plumb Marketing, we can now send out a direct mail piece and tell you when it was delivered. Add in a trackable phone number and we can tell you how effective your mailer was at creating action with your customer. While none of this is really new, what will blow your mind is that we can now also track when people come to your website. And once they do, we can begin to deliver your message to your prospects via internet advertising on the Google display network. Let’s even take this one step further and include the ability to deliver ads on Facebook and Instagram. All of this for a fraction of the cost it would have taken to send out another mailer.

So let’s get specific. Imagine you are a dentist promoting a new tooth whitening program. First, create a direct mail piece to be delivered to all households within 5 miles of your practice. (Don’t have this list? Don’t worry! We do!) The mail piece has a lovely picture of a lady with sparkling white teeth and a strong call to action to make an appointment. We will add in a special phone number for people to call to make the appointment, so it can be tracked. Then, let’s take this concept even further. Create a call to action on the mailer to visit your website to receive a coupon for an extra $100 off when they book online. Create a landing page on your website reflecting the special deal for teeth whitening (using the same image and call to action.) Add this web page url to the direct mail piece. Viola! We are now set to begin to market to people online via Google, Facebook and Instagram using a new technique called remarketing.

Basically, remarketing works like this. A person visits your website. A small bit of code has been added to your site that places a cookie on your visitor’s computer. Then, the visitor moves away from your website. They begin to browse the internet for other needs and/or to research other providers. Suddenly, your advertising begins to show up on other sites, like the local news website. It appears as if you are advertising with them directly, when in fact, the cookie is delivering your advertisement everywhere the user looks, not just one website. This technique makes you look like you have the buying power of a large advertiser when in fact you have spent a few pennies more per person. Your brand begins to appear repeatedly throughout the internet, all taking people back to your specials page. 

According to Local Search Association*, 72% of consumers turn to the internet when they are ready to buy. And your website is not the first place that they look. Search engines, reviews and social media are playing a bigger role. You can take advantage of this latest trend by adding Response Builder to your next direct mail campaign. Contact us for a demonstration of the power of this new tool and take your marketing to a whole new level!

* https://www.boostability.com/when-consumers-are-ready-to-buy-they-search