Digital marketing often takes center stage in discussions about attracting customers to businesses. And rightfully so. In our digital age, digital marketing is a must for growth-minded self-storage facilities.
However, this doesn’t mean abandoning conventional marketing practices.
In fact, several time-tested marketing strategies have the potential to provide tremendous value for your self-storage business. At the top of the list? Direct mail marketing.
Read on for a closer look at this valuable marketing channel along with tips for how your self-storage business can make the most of it with a successful direct mail campaign.
What Is Direct Mail Marketing?
Direct mail refers to any physical mail sent to customers to attract their business. If you’ve ever received a catalog or a postcard, you’ve received direct mail. It is the same with receiving brochures, flyers, or free samples from a business through physical mail.
Says Chron.com of this popular marketing tool, “A business or organization sends thousands of pieces of mail, hoping to get a large enough response to pay for the mailing and costs of goods sold, leaving a profit. This often only requires a response rate as low as 1 or 2 percent, depending on the price of the product and number of pieces sent.”
Does Direct Mail Work?
Direct mail may sound old-fashioned, but data tells us that it’s one of the most successful marketing methods. Here’s a closer look at some compelling direct mail statistics:
- Up to 90 percent of direct mail gets opened by the recipient (compared to 20-30 percent for email).
- More than 42 percent of people who receive direct mail either scan or read it. People who receive direct mail purchase and spend 28 percent more than those who don’t get the same piece of mail.
- Direct mail delivers a 28 percent return on investment.
- Nearly 75 percent of consumers say they prefer brand contact via direct mail because it gives them control over when to read it.
- Recipients keep direct mail around for an average of 17 days.
- 60 percent of catalog recipients visit the company’s website.
- 75 percent of recipients can recall a brand immediately after seeing direct mail (compared to 44 percent for digital ads).
- Direct mail’s cost-per-acquisition is almost $44 (compared to $22.50 for email).
Another especially meaningful statistic for storage facilities? Consumers between the ages of 45 and 54 are the most likely group to respond to direct mail. Why? Because this demographic is likely to have more disposable income to afford storage for everything from hobbies to downsizing.
The Benefits of Direct Mail
The benefits of direct mail are numerous and include the following:
- It is tangible and personal. In fact, many recipients report that they enjoy receiving it. Plus, it can be customized — a major plus with today’s discerning consumers.
- It builds trust and familiarity. When recipients think about using self-storage, your business will be the first that comes to mind.
- It can be highly targeted by factors like age, profession, purchase preference, and much more, thereby allowing you to optimize your accuracy and reach your ideal customers.
- It is versatile and creative. With so many incarnations from which to choose, you can create a piece of direct mail that looks, feels, and accomplishes exactly what you want it to.
- It’s cost-effective and measurable. Direct mail is not only known for its competitive ROI, but it’s also easy to track, which can help you understand its performance and adjust your efforts if necessary.
Another upside of direct mail that’s especially applicable to self-storage companies is geo-mapping. The majority of your customers probably live in your immediate surrounding area. Direct mail lets you focus your efforts on them.
Tips for Using Direct Mail for Your Self-Storage Facility
In order to get the most out of your direct mail campaign, you need to be strategic about it. Follow these tips to optimize your efforts:
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Know your target audience
Wherever the recipient is on the buyer’s journey, direct mail has the potential to move them forward — but only if you reach your ideal persona. In order to do everything from raise awareness to generate sales, it’s important to make sure your direct mailings end up in the hands of the people most likely to use your services.
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Take time with design
Direct mail is literal, visual, and tactile. Selecting the right words, creating an enticing design, and packing it the right way all add up to a direct mail piece that is more likely to be opened, read, and remembered.
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Make it personal
In today’s competitive business landscape, a personal touch can be exactly what you need to gain the inside edge. Including personal details is one of the best ways to engage new customers and retain existing ones.
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Track your results
A direct mail campaign is only as good as the results it gets. Without a system in place to track how your campaign is faring, you not only won’t know if you’re succeeding, you’ll also miss out on potential areas of improvement. Promotional codes and other forms of tracking offer invaluable insights.
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Be prepared to wait
While digital marketing often leads to immediate and obvious results, direct mail moves much more slowly. Direct mail campaigns need time to work. Don’t get frustrated and give up. If you’ve followed the steps in this guide, trust that the business will come.
One last thing to keep in mind? While direct mail has irrefutable benefits, they will be amplified when integrated alongside digital marketing into a comprehensive marketing campaign for your self-storage facility. Together, a direct mail campaign and digital marketing strategies like email, social media, and pay-per-click advertising can have a powerful impact on customer engagement, ROI, and the overall performance of your marketing.
If this sounds like a tall order, we can help. At The Light Digital, we specialize in helping self-storage facilities and other businesses maximize their marketing efforts and outcomes. To start finding your customers with a customized direct mail campaign, contact us today.
