No more robots! How to humanize your brand

Take Nike, for instance. Their latest ad ‘nothing beats a Londoner’ has seen them land in the top list of ads in 2018, simply due to using real, young Londoners to showcase their products.

Behind every brand are humans pulling the strings, and we want to see that. Corporate, uninspiring advertisements no longer have a place in our very open world. Being authentic in your direct marketing is key to driving sales.

If your prospects do not feel like they are engaging with a real, passionate human, they will likely lose any connection they may have had with your company and look elsewhere. Direct mail marketing is a great way to begin humanising your brand, and we’re sharing the marketing campaign tips to drive responses.

Show off your staff

We’re the first in line when it comes to showing off our staff. No matter what industry, revealing the brains behind the organisation can only enhance trust and build relationships. For instance, we like to introduce the team members for each of our mailing house processes, so consumers are reassured there is someone to turn to at all stages. You don’t need to show off all staff members, but use a few to reflect the brand’s personalities and increase your direct marketing efforts. Showing the real people behind the brand will, typically, extend the client’s longevity of staying. Start by:

• • Using real photos of those that work at the company

• • Show the funny side of your staff members, such as mini videos or even a profile piece on your blog

• Turn your employees into brand promoters

Use buyer personas

All good direct mail campaigns know the consumer. As part of direct mail management, you should focus on the behaviour, goals and the needs of your prospects – thus enabling you to deliver a hyper-personalised message. Direct mail services solely focused on driving sales lacks the human connection, and you must understand all aspects of your audience before reaching out to a mailing house.

Tell a story

Hook your consumers in with a story, and you are already winning. You can speak to your mailing house regarding the text, as you don’t want to shove paragraphs of text onto your direct mailer. However, for initial brand awareness, providing a backstory to your brand can help build the foundations of the relationship with your consumer. The stories that are most successful are the ones that generate emotion and engagement.

The story can also reflect your direct mail design. Perhaps you showcase the beginnings of the brand, to where it is now through imagery. Your direct mail design is the opportunity to get creative and showcase the people – don’t waste it.

Print finishing

Choosing the correct print finishing can transform your campaign from zero to hero. Think about it, would you ignore a letter addressed to the homeowner? Probably. Would you ignore a glossy, embossed and personalised direct mailer? No.

Direct mail fulfilment is critical to ensuring the longevity and success of your campaign. There are a wealth of print finishing services to choose from with a mailing house, all designed to boost your responses and drive engagement. If you’ve put time and effort into buyer personas, copy and direct mail design, don’t fall down at the last hurdle – consider the importance of direct mail fulfilment.

Integrate with online

Keep up with the engagement after you have utilised the direct mail services of a mailing house. The campaign doesn’t stop with delivery. Share the process on your social media platforms. Follow the businesses you are targeting. Similarly, post regularly and ensure the personality is in your messages.

As a direct mail house, we are seeing more companies jump onto the integrated marketing train. Essentially, keeping consistent with online and offline, with both working together. If you send the initial direct mailing piece to showcase your products, you can then offer QR codes and discounts to get them on the site. You can read more here.

Thank you letters

A thank you goes a long way in business. No matter if your business is big or small, a direct mail house has the capabilities to send out bulk mailings and personalise each and every piece. Therefore, you’ve got no excuse. At the end of the financial year, why not send a thank you letter to consumers for supporting your brand? Show your appreciation and even welcome them to your brand family – it can’t get more personal than that. We can almost guarantee you’ll see more engagement across the board.

If you would like to discuss our direct mail services to getting more consumers – speak to our team here. You’ll get a dedicated account manager and plenty of advice for increasing ROI. Alternatively, have a look at the team behind WDM and get to know us a little better.