10 Strategies for Successful Holiday Direct Mail Marketing

It's 2022 and people are starting EVEN EARLIER than usual!

For the first time in history, holiday sales are predicted to rise above 1 TRILLION DOLLARS in the US this year!  Are you prepared?

Capitalize on the busiest shopping time of year by increasing your marketing efforts this holiday season. The earlier you get your message out to consumers the better your chances are of attracting new consumers and loyal customers to your business.

You’ll give your business a boost for the following year as well. Capture their attention with a carefully planned and executed holiday direct mail marketing campaign. Let’s take a look at ten easy things you can do to improve your marketing campaigns this holiday season.

1. Use Oversized Direct Mail

Help divert consumers attention to your message and offers

Capture consumers’ attention and show them just the important information. Such as, who you are, why they should shop at your store, and what specials you have. The oversized mailer helps divert consumers’ attention away from other mail pieces like standard postcards and letter-sized mailers. Once you have their attention, hit them with stunning graphics while giving them just what they need.

77 percent of consumers sort through their physical mail as soon as they get it.

Ashley Oversized furniture mailer

2. Use House Lists To Improve Response

Increase your ROI by sending mail to your current customers

Sending your holiday direct mail marketing mail pieces to new prospects is a great way to build a customer list. However, sending to your house list (a list of customers you’ve built using current customers that have purchased from you) is a fantastic way to increase your response rate. If a customer has already purchased from you and had a positive experience then they are probably willing to purchase from you again. People typically go with what they know and what they’re comfortable with. Remind them that you’re still around and that you want their business again. Retaining current customers improves your bottom line because you spend less money doing so rather than converting new prospects.

You spend less money getting a customer to return than trying to convert a consumer into a new customer.

3. Incentivize With Offers & Gift Cards

Give them an incentive to shop with your business

Part of what makes direct mail so fantastically appealing to marketers is that it gives them the potential for multiple impressions compared to email. If your message is compelling, and your gift card and/or offers are highly enticing, then it’s possible that your customers will put a gift card in their wallet,  leave it on their kitchen counter or put it on their fridge. 

Your customers might not go running out to use them right away. However, if they’re interested they will keep your mail piece in their home instead of throwing it away. Essentially, you have given them a constant reminder of your business. There are plenty of different types of direct mail you can improve with offers.

Killer 2 3D Mailer

4. Don’t Neglect The After Season Shopping

Consumers will still be purchasing after the season is over

The Holidays are a perfect time to push products and incentivize offers. But, don’t forget that shopping doesn’t stop after the Holidays are over. Plan for the late-gift-getters and the vacation-takers to give your business a small boost while others are ramping down. Planning to do so with your holiday direct mail marketing campaign will help you capitalize on the holiday rush long after it has passed.

New customers given gift cards by relatives can be turned into loyal, returning customers with the right in-store experience. Focus on customer service during the week between Christmas and New Years.

5. Lift Response With Spectrum’s Easy Omni-Channel Solution

Spectrum Mail Plus integrates your mail with online channels

Instead of just sending out a traditional solo direct mailing, Spectrum Mail Plus combines your direct mailer with seven digital technologies to create omni-channel direct marketing to digital advertising that increases your ROI by reaching your target audience on multiple channels simultaneously.
It’s easy! All you need is a website or landing page and a Facebook/Instagram account. Spectrum does all the setup and serves ads on your behalf.
Holiday Omni-channel marketing campaign

Increase your average marketing campaign RESULTS by 23-46%

Direct mail pieces are mailed to your target market. This tried and true marketing medium yields marketing RESULTS by delivering your well-designed message right to your prospect’s mailbox.
Then, your Spectrum Mail Plus omni-channel marketing campaign touches your audience simultaneously across the web while tracking engagement – including visits to your website.

Most sales are made between the 8th and 12th impression! Perfect to hype holiday sale events and promotions!

6. Combine Direct Mail And Email

Give your holiday campaign a lift

Consumers are more likely to make a purchase when they’ve been introduced to your brand multiple times. The more a consumer sees your holiday direct mail marketing message, the more confidence they have in purchasing from you. Make a memorable introduction with your direct mail piece and follow up with an email to the same list or geographic area. Creating a campaign that tells the same story multiple times in multiple mediums allows you to use repetition to your advantage. Remember that a message will stick with a consumer the more its repeated.
winter sale email and direct mail program example

Remind them with social media ads

If you want to go the extra mile you can always implement a social media ad campaign. Social media campaigns are great especially when consumers are spending 35 to 50 minutes a day on Facebook alone. Make sure you’re making the best use of your marketing budget by spending it where people are already looking.

Social media users spend around 50 minutes per day looking at content.

7. Reward Loyal Customers

Making a customer feel appreciated is a fantastic way to keep them coming back

Reward a loyal customer to keep them coming back. It’s easier and cheaper than sourcing new prospects. If a current customer has already had a positive experience with you they are less likely to seek out a new store or retailer. Even a small gesture like offering 5% off the total order is welcomed by your customers. Consider using personalized direct mail to make it more impactful.
Personalized Flyer

8. Start Early

The more time your marketing message spends with consumers the better

If we’re being honest, we all notice when a retail location starts putting out Christmas decor way too early. It’s not even Halloween yet, but, the Christmas decorations and gifts are already taking up half of the seasonal aisle. What if we said that’s not a bad thing? Hear us out! Consumers don’t want to wait until the last minute to make all of their holiday purchases. Typically, they want to get everything done as early as possible to avoid the mid-season rush and the large crowds.

Just because you’re prepared doesn’t always mean your customer is

Unfortunately, no matter how well prepared they are, there’s always a few (hundred) people who are rushing to buy gifts and cards the day before Christmas. Shops give their customers a chance to avoid major headaches down the road by putting out holiday material early. Get your marketing message out early as well to make the customer aware of their ability to start shopping.

Starting early gives your marketing message more time to sit with your customers. Sending them one piece of direct mail is rarely enough to get them to buy, especially long-term.

Another reason to get things done early is that a consumer will need that time to make a decision. Slowly and subconsciously they need to start to decide that they’re going to make some holiday purchases. If you’re an auto shop offering a winter tune-up you’ll need to do something similar with your marketing. Make people aware that they can get a tune-up and winterize their vehicle before they get caught in that first blizzard of the season.

9. Convey Emotion

Consumers respond well to emotion so show a little in your collateral

Using power words like “FREE” and “ON SALE!” use to be enough to catch the eye of a consumer. While that may still be true to a degree, it’s just as important to appeal to the sentimental side of your customers. Consumers don’t want selly words and flashy text. It will catch their attention, but, after you do so, you should talk to them as a friend. Create an emotional connection with your customers to build your business and establish trust in your brand. A touch of heart or human emotion will get a lot further than “BUY NOW!”
all metals holiday mailer card

10. Send A Thank You Card

With no agenda and no pressure show gratitude towards your customer so you’re the first place they shop

Thanksgiving isn’t a major buying holiday. We all know Black Friday is right around the corner though and is one of the biggest buying days of the year. You can utilize Thanksgiving as a way to send your loyal customers some gratitude. Send them a personalized holiday card with a small no-strings gesture of kindness. Use this as the first opportunity to set up the marketing messages you’ll be sending in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Thank you card kit

Thank your customers and show your gratitude for them. It will go a long way when you’re ready to hit them with the offers and sales.

So What Is The Best Holiday Direct Mail Marketing Strategy?

There is no one tip on this list that’s going to significantly boost your marketing campaign beyond all others. However, the combination of all of these strategies is sure to help you succeed. Using all of these tips will help create a campaign that really speaks to your customers on a personal level. It will also make you more memorable during this highly competitive time of year.

Send early, send often, and stand out!

The takeaway here with holiday direct mail marketing is to be the first on customers mind. So send early and send often! Make sure when your customer sees your message throughout multiple channels that it’s consistent, includes special offers, conveys emotion, and also stands out. Making sure you touch on these main points is key to a successful holiday marketing campaign.

We’re here to help.

Whether you are current client or new to direct marketing, our marketing experts, experienced in your specific industry, will help you utilize these tips to create the perfect holiday direct mail marketing campaign.

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