How You Can Use Direct Mail to Share the Love

Posted: 1/15/2025

Staying in touch with your customers and clients is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to retaining their business. While you should want to generate new leads for yourself, you also don’t want to forget about your existing customer base! Sharing the love with the right piece of direct mail can go a long way to impress your customers and keep them coming back for more.

Statistics show that more than half of consumers visited the brand’s website after receiving a piece of direct mail, while 27 percent bought a product or signed up for a service (1). So, if you’re not taking advantage of what direct mail can do for you, you may be missing out!

But what kind of strategies should you use to help show your customers you care about them? We can help.

Occasions Worth Writing About

Communicating your new or ongoing promotions and product launches with customers is one thing, but there are other reasons to stay in touch with your audience. Here’s a few ways to maintain open communication with your consumers:

Celebrate special occasions: Making note of your business anniversary is a great opportunity to send something special, especially if it’s a big milestone (like your 10th or 25th year in operation). If you have customer data that includes their birthdays, sending a personalized offer gives them something to look forward to every year!
Loyalty rewards: If your company runs a loyalty program, providing your customers with regular updates as to their status can encourage them to stop by more regularly. You can also provide customized offers based on their purchase history!
Event invites: Hosting an open house? Appearing at a local trade show or other industry event? Send out invites to your customer list so they know what’s going on and where they can find you.

Direct Mail Design Strategies You Should Use

Here’s a few ideas for how you can leverage the power of direct mail to help turn casual customers into long-term, loyal clients.

Personalize: Use the data you already have on your customers’ buying habits to appeal to their tastes. Simply adding someone’s name to a piece of direct mail can increase the response rate by up to 135 percent (2), but you can go further. If your data shows specific purchase trends among your customers, you can send them a personalized offer to take advantage of that.
Send something special: An easy way to have your brand stay top-of-mind among your consumers is to send a promotional item their way. And you don’t have to go too big with these, either – small items can have a huge impact! For instance, branded pens or other writing instruments are the most-owned promo item out there, with 89 percent of consumers reporting they have at least one in their home (3). Branded items can generate thousands of impressions for your business over their lifetime, and sending a piece of “lumpy mail” always stands out in a mailbox, too!
Finish strong: Even a simple “thank you for your business” postcard can stand out, if you’re using specialty finishes. Using high-quality paper stock, soft-touch matte finishes, spot-gloss or foil are all great ways to use contemporary printing technology to your advantage. They all add a tangible, touchable quality to your direct mail items that invite your audience to spend more time with them. When you go the extra mile with your customers, they’re more likely to go the extra mile with you!

Need more direct mail strategies for your business? Contact Allegra to discuss your goals – we’ll develop a campaign that’s catered to your needs!

1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1329722/actions-direct-mail-usa/

2. https://www.uspsdelivers.com/2020-2021-generational-research-report/

3. https://www.statista.com/statistics/548059/promotional-products-ownership-usa/