Direct mail is something that many of us might overlook in today’s digital world, but it still may have a place in your overall marketing plan. With that being said, what worked well 15 years ago probably isn’t going to be as effective today. Here are some ways to make sure that your direct advertising is a welcomed and valued piece and not something that immediately ends up in the recycling bin.

1. Make Your Direct Mail Piece Stand Out. While the USPS might be complaining that people are mailing less, the typical person still receives a lot of mail in their mailbox. A majority of it is what they probably consider “junk mail.” If your marketing piece looks just like everything else they get in their mailbox, it’s probably going to get tossed. Try using an odd size or shape for your mailing, or use some bright colors that will stand out in the pile. Do something that is going to make the recipient think twice before discarding it.

2. Sell Them with Your Headline. Hook your audience immediately. Don’t make them work to figure out what you’re offering them. The first thing they should see is something that grabs them and leads them to your call to action.

3. Have a Call to Action. Every marketing piece that you send out should have a single, very clear call to action. You want to eliminate barriers with potential customers. Tell them exactly what to do (hint: you want them to come your salon). Don’t make this complicated, or you’ll lose people.

4. Make it Easy to Read. People are not going to spend several minutes reading and analyzing your marketing piece. You need to make it simple for them to glance over and easily pull the main points. Even if they’re not that interested or invested in what you’re selling, they should know what you’re offering just by skimming your marketing piece.

5. Track the Results. We get spoiled by digital marketing because it’s so incredibly easy to track. It is definitely more work and takes more intentional energy to track a direct marketing piece, but it’s doable and necessary. Many salons use customer management software that allows them to track promotions. It’s important to know whether a direct marketing promotion brought in enough money to make it worth the cost.

Without a doubt, we live in a world that is becoming more and more digital, but that doesn’t eliminate the effectiveness that direct marketing can have on bringing new customers into your salon – if it’s done right. The bottom line is that you want to send something that offers real value and is easy to redeem, but don’t forget to be creative with it!