16 Oct Direct Mail – Why is it Still Behind?

Testing is the name of the game when it comes to successful marketing.

Marketers sometimes use call tracking to test their campaigns. Online marketers also test which keywords produce calls, which specific ad copy generates calls, and which calls convert to sales.

Why isn’t direct mail marketing tested nearly as much?

It seems obvious; that’s just the nature of printed material vs. online material. Direct mailers simply haven’t had access to a viable way to test. Call tracking solutions have been cumbersome and the industry may not really know how to implement them correctly.

Log My Calls recently introduced something exciting: call tracking for direct mail is here.

What can direct mail marketers test? According to LogMyCalls.com:

Color and Design – Different colors will produce different results. It requires testing to determine which colors and designs produce the most calls.

Call to Action – Phrases like ‘Call Now’ will produce better results than phrases that don’t have a specific command to call. Experiment with ad copy. Encouraging people to call now to get 10% off, or call now to talk to a real person, or whatever, will produce different volumes of phone calls.

Ad Copy – The call to action isn’t the only thing that matters. The rest of the ad has to be written well. Just a few words can make the difference between a lot of calls and a few calls. People today do not respond well to tons of marketing fluff – they want to see benefits listed clearly and concisely.

Images – Different images evoke different emotions. And we all know that most sales are driven by emotions before logic.

Testing your marketing can mean a 10-15% increase in your revenue or client-base. What would that do for your business?