As states lift lockdown restrictions and the economy slowly begins to reopen, it’s important to reconnect with your clients and cultivate relationships with new customers.
The best way to do this? Direct mail.
Most consumers will still be spending a majority of their time at home for the foreseeable future, so their residential mailboxes remain the best places to contact and impress them. Expertly designed and printed direct mail products featuring highly targeted messaging provide much-needed breaths of fresh air for recipients eager to take advantage of post-quarantine deals from their favorite businesses. Such campaigns keep your company top of mind, helping to spread the word about your products and services during this transitionary period.
So, as your business gets ready to reopen, consider the many benefits of direct mail. Design Distributors is here to help you develop a powerful campaign to reach your target audience, convey important messages, and drive consumers to your doors and/or website.
Here are several tips for creating an effective direct mail campaign as you reopen from coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown:
Your customers won’t know you’re open unless you tell them. It’s essential you start off with a mail piece that conveys the message: “We’re reopening and we’re here for you.” Tell them you’ve missed them and you look forward to seeing or working with them again. This shows your customers you’ve been thinking about them and value their business.
Everyone wants to know that if they step into your store, you’re taking the appropriate measures to ensure their safety, so this should be at the forefront of your message. Explain the extra cleaning efforts you’ll be undertaking, the new mask and glove requirements, and any new sanitizing procedures. Maybe your store or office will be implementing alternating work days for employees or only permitting 50 percent capacity instead of 100. Convey these measures to your customers so they know you’re taking their protection seriously.
Inform customers how they can interact with your business once you reopen. If you’re offering curbside pick-up, let them know it’s quick and easy, while including how they can place an order by phone or online. Then, explain what they have to do upon arrival. Do they call you or send a text? Maybe your restaurant is now open for takeout. Explain the appropriate precautions all customers must follow: Wait in line six feet apart; wear a mask and gloves. If you’re offering contactless delivery, let customers know you can drop off the goods at their doors. It’s possible you’ve created an online shop, so send a mail piece with a link or QR code to your website.
If your company has teamed up with a nonprofit organization, made a sizable donation to an institution, pledged a portion of sales or found other ways to help your community, state or country, consider creating a campaign around these efforts.
Include a coupon code on your letter, self-mailer or postcard. This will incentivize your customer base or the new list you’re looking to target to come into the store, try curbside, get takeout or order online. Add images depicting products or services relevant to their specific needs by utilizing variable data printing.
Expand your customer base by targeting new and existing lists through two separate campaigns. Send a postcard to existing clients letting them know your business is up and running again with a “Valued Customer Coupon Code,” for example. Mail your new contacts a self-mailer with more information about your business and its offerings, plus a “New Customer Discount Offer.”
There isn’t one specific format you should be using at this time. Consider your budget, message, and target audience. Postcards and self-mailers cost less, are quick to get out, and involve less labor on your part. However, sending multiple formats, several weeks apart, can yield incredible results. For example, if you send a letter, a self-mailer two weeks later, and a postcard two weeks after that, you’ll have made multiple points of contact, increasing the chances of a response.
Overall, ensure your message addresses your customers’ needs in a tasteful manner. Show them you’re thinking about them, are here for them, and are taking every precaution to keep them safe while they interact with your business.
We are constantly updating our customers about the proactive precautions we are taking in response to COVID-19. Check out our latest update here. We are here for you.