Automate Print & Mail: Reach vs. Frequency in Direct Mail Campaigns

Direct Mail Frequency: Is It Better Than Reach to Optimise Your Direct Mail Campaigns?

Do you have difficulties planning the ideal direct mail campaign for your brand? Perhaps, the planning stage is the most daunting one because there are numerous factors to consider. Marketers need to settle on the design, mailing list, copy, CTA, mail format, etc.

Direct mail is one of the best marketing channels, with an average response rate of 9%, but it needs meticulous efforts. Most businesses plan the physical aspects of their mailing tasks but miss out on other factors like direct mail frequency and reach.

How many times should you mail a prospect?

Is there any specific time frame that you should follow?

Such questions help you draft an excellent strategy that fits well with your marketing funnels.

Today’s blog will help you grasp the concepts of direct mail frequency, timing, and reach. Also, we will walk you through the differences between reach vs. frequency to allow you to understand them in-depth.

Let’s begin!

What Does Direct Mail Frequency and Reach Mean?

Frequency and reach are crucial aspects of a mailing campaign. They also decide whether your campaign will succeed or fail. It is common for marketers to get these concepts wrong initially but learn with time.

Reach refers to the number of people you target under your campaign. It also implies the number of mailing addresses on your lists. For instance, if you plan to distribute your marketing items, like postcards, flyers, etc., to 5,000 people, your reach is 5,000.

Usually, newly-established companies with a huge marketing budget to spare focus on marketing reach.

Direct mail frequency has nothing to do with the number of people you mail. It covers the number of times you send items to the same prospects. Imagine your mission is to convert 100 top-ticket clients by the end of the year. Then, you will keep mailing them back-to-back to get their attention and push them to respond.

Here’s when mailing frequency is essential—instead of giving up, you keep in touch with the same prospects, build rapport, and then convert!

Imagine you decide to send them five mailings spread across the year in this example. Thus, your direct mail frequency will be five.

Now, frequency also means another thing in direct mail—the number of times you send the exact same mail item to a prospect. Though some marketers practice this type of frequency mailing, it is better to mix it up a little and send unique items. We will discuss more on that in a bit!

When Should You Use Direct Mail Frequency and Reach?

We know how it can be hard for you to figure out when to prioritise reach and frequency. Remember, you can also use both simultaneously—as long as you know to create a balance.

Direct mail frequency and reach have an inverse relationship. You cannot increase mail frequency and reach together as it can drain your marketing budget completely. Imagine mailing 50 times to 5,000 people each! Exhausting and expensive, right?

To maintain a proportionate balance, you first need to understand when to use reach and frequency. Here are some circumstances where focusing on direct mail frequency is your best bet:

You want to target a niche audience
You want to push prospects to the bottom marketing funnel from the top or middle

In either case, these potential customers are already on the lookout for products or services similar to yours. Thus, direct mail frequency allows you to connect with them time and again, making them remember you and complete the CTA at some point.

On the other hand, reach is better for businesses having a generic audience, like restaurants. They can also prioritise mailing reach when:

They have the required marketing budget
They want to increase brand visibility

Reach Vs. Frequency: Which One Should You Select?

Only 2% of conversions happen after the first meeting! The other 98% of prospects buy from a business only after building good relationships and trust.

It isn’t surprising that you may need multiple touchpoints before finally converting a lead. People take time to know you, understand your products and services, compare with your competitors, and select one brand. But, you can help them choose you by being consistent.

Direct mail frequency gives people the time they need to decide. It also allows you to establish emotional bonds and boost brand recognition.

On the contrary, reach does not give you this opportunity. It promotes a once-and-done marketing strategy that rarely works. You cannot mail an item to a potential customer and then forget about them. Being in constant touch is the key to pushing prospects ahead of their customer journey.

In simple words, direct mail frequency is better than reach and can drive better results!

Fortunately, PostGrid’s direct mail services allow companies to conduct any type of mailing campaign at any time! You can integrate our API into your CRM and start sending:

One-off mailings
Recurring mailings
Triggered mailings
Bulk mailings, etc.

Thus, you don’t need to favour direct mail frequency for every campaign; you can also focus on reach, depending on your objectives. Our address verification services also ensure that you mail to the correct mailing addresses, helping you save loads of time and costs.

Direct Mail Frequency Best Practices

Here, we have mentioned some tips you can use while planning campaigns focused on direct mail frequency.

Time Your Campaigns Well

Always select an ideal timeframe for your marketing campaigns. Most businesses only mail a few months a year. For example, companies selling school stationery items might start sending promotional materials to parents in Mid-August as the first term begins in September.

Also, most roofing companies advertise more proactively before monsoon. Similarly, you can also time your mailings properly to ensure maximum results. Suppose your direct mail frequency is four. Plan how you want to spread these four campaigns over your selected timeframe.

If you are busy with other operations and don’t have time to launch a campaign, use PostGrid automated direct mail solutions. One of our clients offering senior living assistance for senior citizens is now sending 10,000 personalised mail pieces every month. They are also able to segment their audience based on different factors, like healthcare, personal care, etc., using our custom mailing lists.

Employ Direct Mail Frequency Capping

You cannot keep sending mail to your prospects every second day. This practice can annoy them and create a tarnished company impression. Therefore, fix an upper limit—the maximum number of times you can mail a prospect. It allows you to plan your campaigns more thoughtfully and effectively.

Segment Your Audience and Test Everything

Try dividing your prospects into targeted mailing lists. It allows you to conduct location-based marketing, preference-based marketing, etc.

Also, test your mailings from time to time. The best way is to send two different types of mail pieces to a small group of prospects. Thus, you can figure out what works best for your business. If needed, you can also use such A/B testing plans to see which one is better- reach vs. frequency.

Consider Other Marketing Channels

Your direct mail campaign might be a part of a broader multi-channel marketing strategy. Hence, take care to consider other touchpoints as well while planning your direct mail frequency.

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between reach vs. frequency helps companies manage their budget better and execute well-designed campaigns. We hope this article helps you learn the significance of frequency in direct mailings.

To better optimise your campaigns and accelerate response levels, use PostGrid’s direct mail API. It makes conducting offline mailing campaigns a breeze. Request a demo now to see how our services help you with direct mail frequency to launch campaigns with assured results!