What Social Media Can Teach Us About Direct Mail

A few weeks ago I wrote about how email marketing can inspire your custom envelopes, but social media marketing has actually got plenty to teach us. Despite how different they may seem on the surface, the basic truths of social can serve as inspiration in crafting your envelopes for a direct mail campaign. But first and foremost...

• Your Envelopes and social media campaign should work together: This doesn't just mean you can put a Facebook logo on your direct mail campaign and be done with it. Your social media work should reinforce your direct mail message, and vice versa. Remember, you don't have direct mail and social media, you have an overall marketing campaign that is working towards a singular goal.
• Ask for Feedback: Social media marketing is just that- Social. Some of the advantages include the ability to respond to customers and allow them to help shape your message, thus qualifying potential customers in the process. Don't be afraid to create a direct mail campaign where you get to learn from the recipients. Ask them for a response, even if it's not in response to a call to action, or direct the recipients to a website where they can learn more. Whatever you can do to start the conversation.
• Create a Viral Envelope: The truly successful social media campaigns are the ones that are shared ad nauseum. Shares means more impressions, which means more potential customers viewing your work, and learning about your business. The truth is, the only way to make something shareable is to come up with a very interesting idea. A visually-arresting design or some witty copy (or both) that demands attention. A great idea can exist just as easily on a custom envelope as it can on Facebook. Don't be afraid to go bold when creating your envelope.
• Use Trends to Your Advantage: Social media marketers are able to capitalize on hot trends quickly and easily (think about that great tweet from Oreo regarding the Super Bowl blackout). Direct mail can't necessarily move that fast, but there are ways you can use popular trends to your advantage. For instance, let's say you serve a particular area, and the local baseball team just won the World Series. Seems like an excellent time to have a huge sale in honor of the new champions! You could even create a custom envelope that features the winning team's colors.