Can’t We all Just Get Along?

The other day I got a piece of local mail that suggested I follow an organization on Twitter and like them on Facebook. While their sites could use a bit of improvement, it was refreshing to see this advertiser making an attempt to connect these two often disjointed mediums.

While many direct mailers still seem resistant to bumping their audience to social media (the jury’s still out on if it’s because they haven’t embraced social media yet, or because they don’t see the connection,) it needn’t  be this way. The vast power of social media coupled with the tangibility of direct mail can be a match made in heaven.

So What’s the Problem?

In today’s online world, we (as consumers) have become expectant of ease and instant gratification. I know when I was a kid and my mom dragged me to the store to get something boring (like new vacuum bags) I was as miserable and rotten to her as I felt about having to be there, (sorry mom!) My behavior was only compounded by my asking for a zillion different things that would inherently jack-up the total check-out price, (while this latter part may have been intentional, I was a kid and “I just had to have it.”) Today a consumer can jump online and through sites such as Amazon.com, they can have their vacuum bags in just a day or two. Simple. Easy. Fast. Stress-free.

Connecting direct mail and social media is unfortunately like taking a bratty child to the store; it’s just not easy. When you get a piece of mail you can’t just touch or click something to get instantly satisfaction (like placing an order;) rather you have to make a conscious decision to hold onto it until you’re ready to take action.

 How DM and Social Media Interact Today

As noted in last week’s post about tools that can integrate DM and social media, the two most-commonly used tools to physically connect DM and social media are QR codes and hashtags.

Here are a few more ways how they can and do work together:

1. Feature Icons.By featuring social media icons on your DM packages you can show that your organization has a social presence. You can make this even more effective by showing your physical social media address as well (i.e. facebook.com/JohnDoe) — just make sure your content is relevant and timely.

2. Gather Followers. Since it’s typically has a greater open-rate compared to email, direct mail is a great way to build your social media following. If you’re effectively targeting the right audience with DM, then you can promote special contests or other social media initiatives that will appeal to your audience.

3. Bolster Mailing Lists. Although slightly more difficult as people are less-likely to share their mailing address compared to email address, social media can be effectively used to build a mailing list. As social media followers have a grater affinity to your organization, they’re more-likely to respond to your direct mail programs compared to true prospect lists.

4. Innovation. Social sites such as Pinterest have pages dedicated to unique and creative direct mail pieces. Just by thinking outside the box (outside the envelope?) your direct mail piece could land (or be strategically placed) on a site such as this. I regularly visit the Pinterest site for creative inspiration as there are many, many unique and creative examples of direct mail.

The Future?

With the way our technology is rapidly improving who knows what the future will hold for linking social media and DM. I’d like to think that the brilliant minds of MIT will identify a futuristic way to allow direct mail to interact with the web; thus allowing the recipient to instantly connect to the Internet and social media right after the receipt of their mail piece. Until then, methods above will have to suffice.

Next week: How Mobile Applications connect Direct Mail and Social Media