Does Direct Mail Have Good ROI in the Digital Age?

A Contractor University Member recently utilized the Ask-The-Expert Q&A feature within the member dashboard by submitting the following question and received the response below.

Contractor Question:

“Does direct mail have good ROI in the digital age?”

Contractor University Expert Response:

“Yes, snail mail can have good ROI and has a place in an overall marketing campaign but does require planning and a strategy. For HVAC contractors, you are looking for at least a 2% response rate to cover the cost of the campaign. Snail mail marketing is not a replacement for digital ads, SEO, or LSA. In order to get the most ROI, The “call to action” offer has to be strong, and a mail marketing campaign always works best with a digital email campaign follow up. Your target area/audience has to be narrow and limited to as many owner-occupied homes as possible. A good mail marketing partner can ensure printed material will mostly go to those areas that are owner occupied. Franklin Madison Direct, Mail Shark or everydoordirectmail.com are a few you can try to see if they fit your campaign.

I also found that direct mail campaigns worked best when “stacked” where the same addresses would get direct mail pieces from our company at least 3 times spread over about 10 weeks. Each piece had a common theme but would be slightly different. You may also consider a bulk mail envelope coupon provider like Valpak, especially if you are in the suburbs of a large metropolitan area.

You can find a short eBook from our Contractor University Library here, which will provide much more detailed information on the topic.”

Contractor University members can click here to log in to their member dashboard and submit a question through the Ask the Expert portal.

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