With the many marketing channels available, you may be overlooking, or underutilizing, one of your best advertising channels – direct mail.

There has been a lot of talk about the death of direct mail. Yes, it is crucial to utilize less costly methods of advertising, such as a website, online social media, email marketing, etc., and to market to clients according to their preferences. However, most businesses can also benefit by using all the tools in their tool belts – including direct mail.

How can you use direct mail as part of your marketing mix and why should you? 

Use direct mail to build awareness about your business . Direct mail can help drive people to your storefront and your website, where you can use other marketing channels to help “make the sale” and build lasting and profitable customer relationships.

Use direct mail for a marketing blitz. If you want to build awareness, and you have the budget, consider sending direct mail weekly or even twice a week for a month or more. If you emailed with that frequency, customers might be more apt to “unsubscribe” — but they will be less likely to make an effort to stop mailings. In the meantime, your target customer base will have become more aware of your business or brand.

Zig while others zag. While fewer companies are using direct mail, or using it less frequently, this makes it more likely that your marketing pitch will get through to your audience. Fewer pieces in the mailbox make your pitch more noticeable. Worried about your printed materials hitting the trash? Remember that emails are easily deleted too. And you can print on recycled paper to show some “green.”

Personalize your direct mail. Think direct mail is not personal enough?

Think again. Variable-data printing allows companies to use purchase history databases to personalize everything from postcards and letters to catalogs.

Use direct mail to sustain current customer relationships. Offer discounts or special services in your direct mail as a call to action. Or include a bookmark, refrigerator magnet or some other item that keeps your name in front of customers. You can’t do that with email!

Single channel communication is dead. You should not rely on one single marketing channel to get through to everyone you target. When you take a look at your entire marketing mix, consider how direct mail can factor in and use it to your advantage.