Is It Still Worth Using Direct Mail To Advertise Your Business?

Julie Starr • March 24, 2022



Many people consider direct mail advertising to be a dead form of marketing. However, if numbers from the Data & Marketing Association are anything to go by, then it’s far from being redundant. In fact, response rates for direct mail are continuing to increase year by year despite other forms of advertising getting a lot of attention from companies.

In other words, direct mail is still alive and well. In fact, it could be argued that since people believe it to be an outdated form of advertising, it’s actually thriving because companies are able to seek out qualified leads with their direct mail. Now that there is less competition in the direct mail space, companies that use it are thriving and receiving much higher response rates than before.

So here are a couple of things to keep in mind before you dive back into using direct mail for your business marketing.

Direct mail complements digital marketing strategies

Although people typically associate direct mail with traditional marketing, the reality is that you can mix up your advertising efforts to create effective hybrid campaigns. In this case, direct mail can be used to distribute vouchers that can be used on the internet, or they can contain QR codes that link to unique digital content that is tailored for each recipient.

There are loads of unique ways to mix up your marketing strategies and it’s important to see how digital options can synergize with direct mail. This unlocks many unique advertising options and is a fantastic way to grow your audience.

Direct mail can be easy to target

When it comes to direct mail advertising, it’s important to consider how you choose targets. For digital advertising, this is usually a matter of understanding users through their data before sending an email. But with direct mail, things are a little different.

Direct mail campaigns typically aim for as many leads as possible. Thanks to services like Postal Center International , it’s possible to send mail to every single address in a specific area. This is fantastic for local targeting as it means it’ll reach everyone that is within a certain radius of your business.

Direct mail can still be tracked

One of the issues with direct mail versus digital marketing strategies is that you typically can’t track its performance. However, there are still a few tricks that can help you keep an eye on how well your direct mail campaigns are performing.

For example, if you make sure that the web link in your direct mail advertising is different from the normal links you’d use, then you can track the traffic that comes through that particular link. This means that you can monitor the exact number of people that use a landing page that comes from direct mail sources. This is a rather primitive but effective way to help keep track of direct mail leads.

Hopefully, this article has given you a few ideas on how you can use direct mail to market your business to more people.

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • October 7, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • October 4, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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