Cutting-edge social media and classic direct mail marketing don’t have anything in common—or do they? Believe it or not, direct mail and social media can both work together to feed and strengthen one another.
Even if you’re selling products and services aimed at a more senior market, like reverse mortgages or Medicare insurance supplements, chances are they’re on social media. 57% of adults over 50 use social media, while 38% of those over 65 are making use of Facebook, Twitter and other social websites. That number is set to explode in the future, so smart companies will start laying their social networking foundation today.
Social media allows you to have a constant presence in the lives of your customers and prospects for a low price. In between your mailings, you can stay top-of-mind with interesting tidbits of information, discounts and tips. Customers and prospects alike appreciate this constant commitment. Social media also affords you an opportunity to ask customers to sign up for various direct mail campaigns and tell you what they’re interested in. It’s like having a constant focus group helping you adjust strategy and send customers the information that matters most to them.
Likewise, direct mail marketing can feed your social media efforts. Encourage customers to like your Facebook page, follow you on Twitter or LinkedIn or go repin on Pinterest. If you’re directing customers to your social media channels, always tell them why. What direct benefit are they going to receive by taking that step? Are you going to give them coupons, keep them up-to-date on changes to the mortgage market or provide customer service? Don’t make them guess.
Don’t make them guess how to find you, either. It’s not enough just to print the Facebook icon and assume people will look you up. Put your full social URL so people don’t have to search for you. This looks like Facebook.com/CompanyName or Twitter.com/CompanyName. The easier you can make it for customers to find you, the more likely they are to actually do it.
Important: If you’re going to steer customers to social channels, make sure you actually update those social networks. Sounds basic, but companies fail at this all the time. If you’re going to ask the customer to spend time going to your site, spend the time making it great for them.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that social and direct mail can’t work together. In the right circumstances, they can be strong allies that boost your business as a whole. Need more guidance? Contact Premier Advantage Marketing. We’ll help you bring all the pieces together.
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