In B2B marketing, you’ll often target large clients in hopes of winning their business. You don’t want to send them the same messages you’ve been transmitting to all your smaller clients, however. You want to wow them with your visuals and pull them in with a customized offer.
A targeted mail piece will convince their decision makers that you’re the company to partner with. A direct mail piece can make them feel extra special, and add a personalized touch to your multi-channel account-based marketing (ABM) efforts.
Account-based marketing is a strategy that allocates a set of resources to several target accounts. It utilizes personalized campaigns with messages and imagery addressing each client’s specific needs. Used in B2B marketing, this approach is typically targeted toward higher-value clients or potential customers that will bring in greater returns on investment (ROI). These companies have long sales cycles and large deal sizes.
If you’re marketing to an existing client, you’ll constantly want to upsell or cross-sell. For a potential customer, you’ll need to prove you can add value to their business by sending them an offer which appeals directly to them.
Although account-based marketing is a long-term process, it’s guaranteed to pay off. According to “The State of the Account-Based Revenue Engine 2019“ report published by market research company Forrester SiriusDecisions:
In addition to these results, five major advantages of account-based marketing include:
A company can tell when you’ve sent out a mass direct mailing. They can also discern when you’ve taken the time to find the name of the decision maker, create an offer tailored to their business goals, and design a letter package with outstanding graphics and visuals.
Because your team is focusing their time and resources on a small number of accounts, there’s greater chance they’ll close the deal. That means there’s less wasted time and money spent on potential customers that will never commit.
By preserving resources, more time is spent focusing on these target accounts. When your sales and marketing teams can allocate their energy toward a common goal, they’re more likely to convert these prospects faster, reducing the sales cycle.
When you focus your efforts on fewer accounts, you can learn all you need to know about them. You also spend an abundance of time interacting with decision makers at the company, ensuring you build trusting relationships. This gives you the opportunity to position yourself as the expert, so your client knows they can go to you with any questions.
Because your team puts in so much time, research, and resources, there’s higher likelihood of acquiring the client.
There are many reasons to incorporate direct mail into your ABM strategy. The first being that the tangibility of direct mail leaves a greater impression on the recipient. A case study conducted by brand development consultant Kantar Millward Brown found “tangible materials left a deeper footprint” and are better able to relate to the information.
The sensory aspect of holding direct mail also increases response rates, found the Harvard Business Review. This traditional approach also conveys a deeper level of personalization. Maybe you include a handwritten note or card attached to a letter package. You immediately increase the perceived care that went into its creation.
Statistics also demonstrate why you should incorporate mail into your ABM strategy. The 2018 ANA/DMA “Response Rate Report” by trade groups the Association of National Advertisers and Data Marketing & Analytics found direct mail response rates were 4.9 percent for prospect lists and 9 percent for house lists.
Direct mail should always be part of a multi-channel approach when utilizing an ABM strategy. Although direct mail often creates stronger connections than digital messages, it’s important to interact with your clients on all channels on a regular basis, whether it be direct mail, email, or phone calls. This helps you build an authentic relationship.
When developing the multi-channel strategy, start with direct mail. More than 240 billion emails are sent and received per day worldwide, meaning it’s easy to get lost in the clutter. That makes it tough to spark a conversation with a new business via email. Phone calls are great, but sometimes the decision maker doesn’t have time to speak at that exact moment. Direct mail is your way through the door. It provides all the benefits we previously mentioned, plus the receiver can peruse at leisure.
Send a few pieces—letters, postcards, self-mailers—to warm your client up and make them aware of your brand before you pick up the phone. Follow this up with calls and digital outreach. As you begin to develop your relationship, send high-end mail packages such as 3D mail or gifts. When they’ve decided to use your company’s products or services, you can mail contracts or other forms.
Design Distributors can help you develop the high-end mail pieces that will wow your current and future clients. We can make the ABM process simple. Request a free quote or contact us today!