Audiences are not as impressionable as they used to be. With the number of resources out there and an increasingly educated consumer base, your target audience is more likely to be doing their research before deciding on your service than not.

But just like Jessica Day trying to get a date at a wedding, you have to just be there – all the time.

Why omnichannel is effective

With the noise of the digital age hitting buyers left-and-right, buyers need more than just an email to be sold on your service.

According to Ecommerce Germany News, companies with an effective omnichannel marketing strategy in place are able to retain 89% of customers, and 50% of marketers who use this marketing strategy hitting their financial targets. Even in 2020, marketers using three or more channels in any one campaign earned a 287% higher purchase rate than those using a single-channel campaign.

If you’re one of the many who are using an omnichannel approach but aren’t seeing the results you want to yield, it might be time to rethink the channels you’re using. While email and social media are effective ways to get in front of your audience, Direct Mail and gifting campaigns can take your strategy to the next level.

Building an omnichannel strategy with Direct Mail

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to incorporate Direct Mail campaigns into your existing marketing strategy, we know adding gifting will help boost your efforts immensely. At Outgage, we see an average of 35% in engagement rates from our campaigns and have even seen them get as high as 92%.

Here’s how to start building your strategy.

Determine your overall goal and message

The first question you should ask yourself is what do you want to see as the outcome of your campaigns? The channels, touchpoints, and process of your campaign can vary based on what you are asking of your audience. Consider:

• Do you want to set up a meeting with potential clients?
• Are you inviting them to an event?
• Are you asking them to demo a new product?
• Is this just for fun or to show appreciation?

Once you understand exactly what your brand is hoping to achieve, you can better plot out the campaign and decide what kind of experience you want to build for your contacts.

Plan out your content well

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – content is king! 67% of buyers in the B2B domain are prone to researching content before making a purchase. So before anything, you need to make sure the content associated with your strategy or campaign is well-thought-out and presents your brand as the thought leader in your space.

This includes materials and copy that might be on your website, but also the materials in your campaign. Your emails, social media, landing pages, packaging, and postcards should be highly optimized and personalized when possible. But most importantly, they should make your message clear.

Decide what channels you need to support

Take a look at your marketing strategy and the channels you are using to determine which channels would benefit from support through an added Direct Mail or gifting piece.

For example, if you’re currently reaching out through email or social media and you aren’t seeing results, adding a gift enticement to set up a meeting or RSVP to an event could give your contacts that extra incentive to respond. If you are seeing great results with reaching out, but maybe you’re lacking in conversions or responses afterward, consider thank you gifts after a meeting or event to keep your brand front of mind.

Understand what channels should be automated

Your channels should already be unique and optimized for your campaigns, but you might be missing out on the work that automation can do while you’re taking your lunch break. According to Omnisend, custom automation workflows earn a 50.89% open rate, and a 14.99% click-through rate.

In a campaign incorporating Direct Mail, your automations should include:

• Email confirmations and thank you pages once they fill out their information
• Triggers after a CTA is completed, like shipping the gift or sending
• Additional CTAs for after they have gone through the campaign cycle, such as opportunities to meet with your brand reps, or information about upcoming events.
• Offering gated content when appropriate, which could also be through the emails you send.

Another thing to remember is the content for your automation – it should always be personalized when possible.

Takeaways

Omnichannel strategies are already proven to be highly effective, but the added element of Direct Mail makes them so much more powerful in conveying a message to your audience. Gifts add that personal touch and connection that, when planned out well, doesn’t feel like a bribe. 

• Plan everything out. From the gift to the content, everything has to be planned according to the unique message of your campaign.

• Be on brand. Everything within your campaign should be branded and personalised when possible.

• Support and automate where you can. Understand what channels could use the support of a gifting campaign, and automate where it makes sense.

Why trust us to make you look good?

Outgage is the Direct Mail and gifting solution built by marketers for marketers. We empower and guide B2B marketers on a creative journey to create meaningful customer engagement through memorable, actionable, and measurable gifting experiences. Learn more on our website or reach out at [email protected] to set up a demo.