Keeping Your Customers Loyal – Direct mail’s place in encouraging consumer loyalty

Encouraging customer loyalty is crucial for business longevity and growth. Loyal customers are the backbone of any sustainable business, and by prioritising customer loyalty, businesses can ensure lasting success and a competitive edge in the market.

Direct mail plays a crucial role in cultivating this. By leveraging the power of physical communication, companies can create lasting connections with their customers and drive sustainable success. Research highlights time and time again, that mail cuts through the digital clutter and puts your message directly into the hands of your audience. Here are our top tips for using direct mail to grow and maintain your client’s loyalty:

1. Keep in touch

Keeping in touch with your customers (without this being too regular and annoying) is essential so they don’t forget about your brand – you need to be in their mind as their ‘Go To’ when they’re ready to purchase. Physical mail is a fantastic way to do this: 62% of consumers are more likely to open and read physical mail compared to digital communications, with direct mail lingering in consumers’ homes for days, weeks, or even months, serving as a constant reminder of your brand.

Keep in touch with your loyal client base by sending:

• Tailored Recommendations: Use data analytics to create personalised pieces of mail that recommend products or services based on their customer behaviour and preferences. Direct mail allows for highly targeted and personalised messaging, making recipients feel valued and understood.
• Customised Offers: Create special offers and vouchers that cater to individual customer needs and purchase history. JIC Mail analytics show 9.4% of mail prompts a voucher usage, and also highlights that the incorporation of vouchers within mail pieces lengthens the lifespan of these within consumers’ homes.
• Feedback Mechanism: Actively seek and act on customer feedback to show that their opinions matter. Writing to them to ask for their opinions can feel highly personal and trigger action and engagement.

2. Reward Loyalty

Most consumer brands offer a loyalty programme in some format: air mile schemes, access to sales before the general public or even a cuddly meerkat toy if you shop via comparethemarket.com. The JIC Mail Q4 2024 results highlighted that Loyalty Reward Statements were one of the most effective drivers of response in the direct mail space.

• Loyalty Programs: Write to your loyal customers and offer points, discounts, or exclusive benefits as a ‘Thank you’ for their repeat custom. Receiving a coupon via the post will encourage your mail piece to live in the household for an increased period, and has a higher chance of prompting a purchase.
• Exclusive Access: Send a direct mail piece to your repeat consumers with early/ exclusive access to new products, special events, or exclusive content. A letter with their name on, received through their door, will support with ensuring they feel important and valued by your brand.
• Referral Bonuses: Send customers vouchers to share with their friends and family; reward them for introducing others to your business.

3. Re-engagement Campaigns

1. Re-engagement campaigns are a powerful tool for rekindling relationships with lapsed customers, and direct mail offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impression. Here’s some ways in which you can effectively use direct mail for customer re-engagement:

2. Personalised Approach; Tailor your direct mail pieces to each recipient: use their name, location, past purchasing behaviour and preferences to make help your direct marketing efforts stand out. Use data-driven insights to create offers that resonate with their specific interests, increasing the likelihood of re-engagement. Personalised messaging, such as ‘We Miss You, David’ or ‘Visit Us in Our Manchester Store, Anne’ is always a hit and help your disengaged clients feel important to your business.

   Compelling Offers: Send your previous clients exclusive discounts or promotions that are too good to ignore. Consider the use of time sensitive promotions, bundle deals based on previous purchases, or free gifts or samples if they redeem the voucher in store.

Hoping to improve customer connections? Contact our team to discuss your next campaign.