In general, data segmentation is one of the most important factors that drives success across any marketing campaign. In addition, direct mail segmentation creates more of an incentive to get your data segmentation correct because you do not have the flexibility to change or pivot your plans as easily as you can with channels such as email, social or digital ads.
In this informative article, we will share the best direct mail segmentation tips, tricks, and ideas. These tips are designed to help you create the most accurate list information for effective direct mail campaigns while also allowing you to spend less time worrying if your plan or strategy will work.
Follow the segmentation tips listed below to ensure your direct mail campaigns deliver maximum results.
Demographics for Direct Mail
Demographic data that is used in a direct mail campaign can easily be segmented. When we talk about demographic data, we’re almost exclusively referencing the demo examples listed below:
- Age
- Gender
- Household Income
- Marital Status
- Family Size
- Race
- Religion
- Education
- Occupation
These data segments are important to understand so your messaging and imagery can be tailored to specific demographics, customer segments and buyer personas. Direct mail provides you with the creative freedom to generate copy, images and follow-up experiences that speak to these demographics.
So, if you want to know the answer to the question, “Should you segment your Direct Mail by Demographics?”
The answer is a resounding, “Yes!”
Geographic Segmentation Ideas
Most people think geo segmentation is focused solely on location and, for the most part, they are correct.
When it comes to direct mail marketing, segmentation by location or geography is a vital component of a campaign because it is being mailed to an address!
Here are some of the most important geographic segmentation variables you can use when planning a direct mail campaign:
- Continent
- Country
- Region
- State
- Province
- City
- Village
- Zip Code
- Neighborhood
- Street
Other Geographic Segments
- ClimateUrban,
- Suburban or Rural
- Language
- Geofencing
Many marketers don’t keep things like climate in mind when segmenting an audience as urban, suburban, or rural. Even though this relates back to standard city and zip code variables, it is also tied into other types of segmentation used in direct mail messaging.
Just remember: “Geographic Segmentation in Your Direct Mail Campaigns Works!”
Direct Mail Psychographic Segmentation
We believe that marketers find psychographics the most fun because many people envision marketing as commercials and ads that include different psychographic infused elements. The creative aspect of marketing is greatly influenced by the segmented audience attributes listed below:
- Social Status
- Personality
- Lifestyle
- Attitudes
- Interests
- Opinions
Using this data in direct mail campaigns and segmentation efforts makes marketing to the intended audience both highly personalized and customized. In turn, this generates a much higher return.
To put it simply, “Psychographics Segmentation allows for extreme creativity in your Direct Mail Marketing.”
Segment Using Behavioral Data
Effective direct mail segmentation best practices include the use of behavioral data to identify highly engaged customers and prospects. There are variables for segmentation across behaviors that can be used for direct mail campaigns and here are four of the most common and powerful variables:
- Usage – How consumers use your product or service, how often, etc.
- Occasion – When they use your products such as holidays, seasonal events, birthdays, weddings, etc.
- Purchase Behavior – How and why they make a buying decision, purchasing process, barriers to purchase, etc.
- Loyalty – The path to loyalty including how to keep loyal customers happy, etc.
When you focus on these segments in direct mail marketing, you can grow and maintain a healthy customer base, nurture new prospects, and build a powerful and memorable brand.
Say it with us… “Using Behavioral Data to Segment Your Direct Mail Efforts Leads to Much Higher Results.”
Firmographic Segmentation
When we talk about firmographic segmentation, we mean the classification of businesses or B2B customers based on company data or attributes. Some of the segmentation data in this category includes company owner attributes, business head count, industry, company revenue, category, etc. These insights help to develop a direct mail strategy or marketing strategy that maximizes your ROI.
Sales Focused Direct Mail Segmentation
Be sure and remember that segmenting your direct mail to qualify sales, increase overall sales frequency or impress prospects to close new business is extremely effective.
Think of your sales focused direct mail as a pipeline. A basic sales pipeline includes stages such as marketing qualified leads, sales qualified leads, an engagement point, a win/lose stage and a follow-up stage. All these sales stages can be integrated into your direct mail segmentation and marketing efforts.
How to Collect Segmentation Data for Your Direct Mail Campaigns
We have highlighted a number of best practices and ideas on how to best segment your direct mail. However, we still need to share some tips to help you acquire that segmentation data. Here are several ways to find segmentation data for use in your direct mail marketing efforts:
Look at Your Current List of Customers and Prospects
This is the easiest and most accurate data set to pull from when you want to identify the different types of direct mail segments you can work on.
Purchase Research Papers/Data
A few research firms perform customer and company research that can supply you with audience segmentation insights that can be applied to your direct mail efforts.
Use Survey Tools to Collect Information
There are several tools you can use to create a segmentation survey to send to your target audience in order to collect greater insights for your direct mail marketing. Companies like SurveyMonkey make this both easy and affordable.
Observe Other Industries
Many industries share insights on their customer segmentation efforts. You can borrow these insights and repurpose those that relate well enough to your efforts to the point they significantly improve your direct mail results.
You made it through all of our tips, ideas, and best practices for direct mail segmentation! Congrats! More importantly, you are ready to take these ideas and put them into action to generate better results from your direct mail marketing campaigns.
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