Holiday shoppers are busy, distracted, and overwhelmed by digital ads. Physical touchpoints like direct mail can make an impactful connection between in-store holiday retail design and the customer’s mailbox.
When is the best time for holiday direct mail? The answer is now. Between Halloween and New Years is the perfect window to gain customer engagement and boost sales. Our new addition, PFL, can add direct mail at scale by managing the entire process from strategy to measurement to turn your holiday retail marketing campaign into a true omnichannel experience.
Effective holiday direct mail relies on the right mix of creativity, data, and timing. Here are direct mail tips that you can work into your retail holiday campaign to connect with customers while creating an omnichannel strategy that motivates engagement and sales.
Customers are more receptive to receiving physical mail during the holiday season, making greeting cards, promotions, and special offers more welcome. With the right direct mail piece, you can drive both online and in-store visits to increase in-person sales, alongside deeper brand loyalty and greater ROI.
Catalogs are a great way to put your bestsellers and new arrivals front and center for your customer base. Designed well, they becomes reference pieces customer keep throughout the season, keeping your brand top-of-mind.
Customize holiday cards to help create authentic connections. For example, using a handwritten note or signature can show your customers you care, inspiring brand loyalty.
Gift guides can be a great way to inspire customers. Through thoughtful planning and design, you can segment by audience, price point, or interest that showcases popular or unique products.
A simple postcard can be versatile and cost-effective. They can be used for many types of messaging like advertising sales, promo codes, or just sharing the spirit of the season. As a bonus, they are quick to make and deliver, which is ideal for hitting tight deadlines and budget goals.
Nothing says urgency like special offers and coupons packaged inside festive letters. These can be exclusive to a segmented customer base, or spotlight time-sensitive promos encouraging shoppers to act now.
The holiday season is a time to use all the bells and whistles on your direct mail. Here are some tips to make your mailers bold and whimsical, or whatever your branding inspires:
Make your mailer interactive! Use pop-up designs, pull tabs, or even scratch offs to add playfulness and engagement.
With the correct data you can go beyond just using a name. Tailor messaging to past purchases and interests so customers feel see and guided to find the items that they really want.
If there’s a time for fun, playful, and festive designs, it’s now! There are so many opportunities for great design that use bold or elegant visuals, seasonal colors and themes, and premium printing techniques to capture the holiday spirit.
Here are unique print techniques to make the design stand out:
Pair the perfect design with a clear call to action (CTA). It can be an action like visiting a store in person, redeeming a promo code, or signing up for an email newsletter. Without this, even the best design risks getting overlooked.
If your company has sustainability goals, choose sustainable and eco-friendly materials to display your brand’s commitment to the environment. Whether your mail pieces need to be sustainable or your in-store signage needs to, or both, you can get started with materials and processes that are sustainable.
Combine the tactile experience of a printed mail piece with a digital component by adding a QR code or personalized URLs. These bridge customers to online shopping, social channels, and loyalty programs, reinforcing a multichannel marketing campaign approach.
Using these techniques will maximize holiday sales while aligning print touchpoints across the buyer’s journey. Instead of treating them separately, unify them for a multichannel strategy that will make your brand stand out during the busiest shopping season of the year.
Ready to get started? PFL is now part of the Vomela family of brands, offering direct mail solutions to automate and scale your holiday direct mail campaigns. Get ahead of the season and capture more sales by contacting them today.