Being a small business owner requires wearing many hats and navigating a range of roles. For many, keeping up with the latest marketing trends is pretty perplexing.
What works, what can you afford, who can help—it’s overwhelming, and with a strict budget and so much on your plate, getting it “right” can feel critical. In proprietary research with small business owners by Insight by Design, this sentiment rings true across industries and locales.[1]
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Knowing where to put time and money in marketing is crucial, as some marketing channels may not be effective for certain businesses.”
— Michael, Financial Services
Many are turning to familiar digital tactics to make a small budget go further. But even these can be tricky to understand, and what works for one business may or may not work for another.
It’s a good time to revisit fundamental marketing strategies. There’s a strong case for mail’s power to rise above the densely populated digital landscape and address the challenges of small business owners.
Challenge: I Feel Stuck
“Marketing can really be like a black hole … there are endless, endless ways to spend money on marketing.”
– Michael, Financial Services
Small business owners want to promote their businesses, but they need easy inexpensive ways to do it. A marketing campaign has to target the audience correctly, give them some sort of value, and get them to take action.
The marketers interviewed associated performance marketing with reach and online conversion rates, seeing direct mail as more niche. In their search for the latest marketing trends, they’re overlooking a proven performer that could meet their every need.
How Can Direct Mail Help?
Direct mail is a tried-and-true marketing tactic that’s more effective than ever in the digital age.
Combat Digital Fatigue
Today’s consumer is bombarded. A tangible mailpiece will be a welcome reprieve from the vast quantity of marketing emails crowding a customer’s inbox, and give your small business the chance to really stand out.
“I don’t know what to do with online marketing, and I don’t know how to measure campaign success when it comes to followers and clicks that don’t actually translate to sales.”
– Asha, Retail
Expand Your Reach
Direct mail can help give your messaging longevity. Mail is held in a household for an average of 17 days.[2] Consumers often spend time with intriguing pieces and pass relevant coupons and information along to family and friends. This helps keep your business top of mind.
Plus, using direct mail as part of an omnichannel campaign gives consumers ample opportunities during that time to visit a landing page and engage with your brand on social media, actions which you can then use to follow up with relevant retargeting messages.
Pro Tip: Consider an Informed Delivery® campaign with USPS, which connects hard-copy mail with digital marketing efforts by showcasing your digital content next to the preview of your mailpiece to help drive conversions.
Challenge: I Can’t Afford Expensive Marketing
“We don’t have a lot to allocate towards marketing, and that is why a lot of small businesses do it themselves, because that’s not something that we’re able to invest heavily in.”
– Angel, Food & Beverage
Small business owners are busy running all facets of their company and making every penny count. Many assume direct mail is more costly and time-intensive than they can manage.
Digital costs are rising, however, as are consumers’ concerns with privacy. The seemingly affordable search and social channels might not be as easy to navigate as a novice marketer would like.
“You have to have an engineering degree to even know what’s going on with [social media platforms]. And so, to the best of their ability, they taught me how to use it and create some copy, etc. Prior to that, it was very much like pin the tail on the donkey, with me just throwing up ads and seeing what stuck.”
– Shana, Health & Wellness
How Can Direct Mail Help?
Super-targeted and highly engaging direct mail doesn’t have to be a costly investment. And you don’t have to figure out how to do it on your own.
Set Your Budget and Stick to It
No one wants to assume extra costs are par for the course, especially small businesses. Digital marketing can have the safeguard of a budget limit, and direct mail can do the same.
USPS offers a Direct Mail Cost Calculator to help you explore the potential of your budget. There are ways to streamline and automate the process, and economical options such as the Every Door Direct Mail® servicearrow_right_alt can bring your campaign to life with ease.
Work With a Specialist
A third-party direct mail specialist can also guide you through the process, working with your budget to execute all or some of your campaign. From design and targeting to printing and mailing, these vendors are well-versed in the ins and outs of direct mail.
This approach benefitted the owner of a home services company, for example, we found in our research. She uses a direct mail marketing specialist to design and distribute direct mail campaigns to increase brand awareness in her newly expanded market area. The strategy has been “widely successful and has laid the groundwork for strategic business growth and future marketing activities.”
Use Digital Innovations to Your Advantage
Gone are the days when a business might only get a sense of whether their mailpiece gained traction. Today’s direct mail is as trackable as it is effective, thanks to dynamic add-ons such as a QR Code®[3], personalized URLs, promo codes and campaign-specific landing pages.
“I’m a huge fan of QR Codes … for the consumer to have a physical piece of marketing to get them into your digital space. QR Codes are cool and there’s a lot of tracking you can do with those.”
– Alex, Food & Beverage
Hyper-Personalize
Direct mail campaigns can be precisely targeted based on location, demographics and more. With a deep understanding of who your customers are and why they’d do business with you, you can tailor the message to resonate with recipients—beyond including their name. Marketers are increasingly using customer data to optimize campaigns and trigger what mail to send based on specific behaviors.
91% of consumers say they’re more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers and recommendations.
[4] 91%
Challenge: I Want Modern Marketing Ideas
“Everybody just gets a mountain of email. So if you have a beautifully designed, physical piece of paper, like a little postcard that you wouldn’t mind having on your desk, I feel like that has more resonance.”
– Justin, Retail
For small business owners learning marketing as they go, through trial and error, direct mail offers a timeless appeal that can bring confidence—and conversions.
84% of marketers agree direct mail provides the highest ROI of any channel they use.
[5] 84%
What Are Some Modern Ways to Use Direct Mail?
When crafting a direct mail campaign, think strategically. Why will potential customers want to do business with you? What exclusive discounts would be most enticing?
Then up the ante on your creative. This doesn’t have to mean expensive die-cuts or fancy finishes—more like fun, interactive elements that will catch a recipient’s eye. Maybe you design a simple postcard, but include an engaging scratch off, a quiz or puzzle, or even a branded item they’ll keep around.
Ideas to Market Your Small Business
- Welcome postcards for new movers
- Limited-time offers exclusive to mail
- Personalized birthday discounts
- Loyalty program invites
- Handwritten notes/the appearance of personal correspondence
- Thank-you gifts
The goal is to surprise and delight your recipients with a message that resonates. Be bold and simple and be sure your offer or call to action stands out clearly.
“I’m definitely fine spending money on things that are going to make money.”
– Jennifer, Real Estate
Pro Tip: Think direct mail is only for an older target? A consumer survey showed that 91% of 18-to-24-year-olds converted to a transaction as a result of having received marketing mail in the previous six months, and 25-to-39-year-olds had the highest response rate of all age groups to the mail they receive.[6]
Key Takeaway
Direct mail has endured over generations for a reason. It works. Today’s direct mail has evolved to combine seamlessly with digital efforts to help businesses stand out, connect with new customers and nurture loyal relationships.
Mail is appealing to all ages. It can be streamlined and automated to save costs and time. For small business owners who want to promote their businesses on their terms, direct mail is the performance marketing strategy that truly drives results.
