Direct Mail Control

March 27, 2012 by Tim
Filed under: Direct Marketing Lists

One of the greatest features of direct mail marketing is your ability to control and improve every aspect of the direct response medium.

As the creator, you are in total control and when starting out If you use direct mail, one of your biggest challenges is beating the control in a A/B split test. Your testing your control package, this is the direct mail piece that has been used in the past that has pulled for you. Now you are testing a new version of the control to increase the response rate.

When trying to improve your control package you may use random formats, offers or creative approaches, and the package that nets the most response becomes the new control package. The first step when launching any new direct mail marketing campaigns is to first write a plan on what problem your trying to resolve or what goals are you trying to achieve.

If your trying to cross sell or up-sell to your current customer base be clear in writing your objective and target segment and what response you hope to break-even on.

Analysis

Look at the control and the history of it’s performance, has the response rate decreased steadily each year when you mail it at the same time? Have you tested different offers, is your copy compelling and does it ask for a call to action? Remember to define success is it break-even in costs, or breaking records in new subscribers, members or customers.

Then look at the numbers — response rates, conversions, ROI, cost per customer, etc. Arrange tests chronologically or by response. Do you see a pattern? What has worked and what has not? Why?

Try to define why the old control doesn’t perform as well and what tweaks did you make in the test that made it out perform your control. The acquisition package is getting a good response and has beat out all contenders, but the ROI could be better. The package must be made more cost efficient while maintaining the current response and conversion rate.

Analyze your new control or think you can do better, go back to creating for a while. When the deadline gets close or when you stop generating useful ideas, move on. Try to figure out exactly which change you made that improved the response level of the control This is the one you will develop.”

EXPERTISE

Ability to perform all list brokerage duties for clients, including providing thorough list research and recommendations
Back-end analysis, marketing metrics Google Analytics, Market Samuria generates revenue & interest via email marketing, SEO, SEM and social media
Can target local business landing pages on Twitter, Facebook, Google Places, Google AdWords and other social networks and track results from coupon offers
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Creates and executes marketing strategies that support business goals
Lead generation and capture and marketing plan development

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