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5 Direct Mail Ideas Based on Social Media Insights

April 21, 2010 By Howard Chen
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As social media becomes more and more essential for reaching out and engaging with your target customer, companies are looking for effective ways to incorporate their social media efforts with more traditional marketing efforts like direct mail. Tapping in to and using social media data can provide helpful insight into a customer's online needs, wants and desires. This online behavior tells a story that helps companies better segment their users for more targeted direct mail campaigns.  

Here are some tangible tactics companies can use to effectively leverage social media efforts with direct mail: 
  • Personalization—Facebook Connect can create a personalized message (i.e., collateral with activities related to the user's interests or customized postcard with individual's photo).
  • Events—Events can be promoted through social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Meetup, etc. Event pages can allow visitors to request event brochures and material to be mailed to them.
  • Landing page/community/microsite optimization—Social media can be used to enhance the destination users are directed to from a direct mail piece. Enriched destinations that include social media features like videos, comments, live streams, interactive applications, etc., can fuel user interaction and engagement.  
  • Geotargeting—Social media polls and questions can be directed at community members in specific targeted locations. Data/responses can help businesses create better direct mail content relevant to that geolocation.
  • Content analytics—Analytics and clickthrough data can help provide valuable insights on what types of content are most consumed and what topics are seen as more interesting by the targeted audience. Extending a brand's presence on the social web can improve the quality and quantity of direct mail marketing.
Howard Chen is senior social media analyst  at BusinessOnLine, a San Diego-based interactive marketing space with a 14-year track record of successfully leveraging online marketing solutions to help clients grow their online presence. Chen can be reached at howard.chen@businessol.com.
 

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Most Recent Comments:
Tim little - Posted on April 29, 2010
I think you mention some very valid points but you must present meaningful and valuable to your market niche if you desire to be successful in social networking.

Once you become relevant to your target market you can than take social networking to the next level which is promoting your product or service but the first big step is gaining trust by being valuable.

Tim Little
Publisher, www.marketinglsitbroker.com
Click here to view archived comments...
Archived Comments:
Tim little - Posted on April 29, 2010
I think you mention some very valid points but you must present meaningful and valuable to your market niche if you desire to be successful in social networking.

Once you become relevant to your target market you can than take social networking to the next level which is promoting your product or service but the first big step is gaining trust by being valuable.

Tim Little
Publisher, www.marketinglsitbroker.com