Mike Ryan — June 16, 2017 
Is yours one of the 65% of companies that rank generating leads as their biggest marketing challenge? If so, you may already be aware that one third of the global population uses social media on a regular basis. But did you also know that when combined with direct mail, social media marketing can open the portal to a powerful promotional strategy?
Data and insights gathered from social media activity are ideal for bringing a laser-sharp focus to the messaging and targeting of your direct mail materials. And in true symbiotic fashion, direct mail has proven itself adept at grabbing consumer attention, and driving more traffic to company websites and social media platforms.
Print and digital promotions are exponentially stronger when they’re used together. If you want to make a unique and unforgettable impression on customers old and new, consider leveraging the combined efforts of a direct mail and social media campaign to:
- ross-promote your marketing content,
- nurture and grow meaningful client connections, and
- dramatically increase conversion opportunities
Research suggests that spending as little as an hour a day on your social media networking will guide your business toward a noticeable improvement in lead generation.
So, what are you waiting for?
The three C’s of social media marketing make it clear that you really have nothing to lose – and everything to gain – by establishing an active, and lucrative, online/offline presence.
1. C is for Content
Being seen and listened to is everything when it comes to making an impact on your customers, and attracting new business. Social media is the perfect platform for posting the share-worthy content that can ensure your brand’s voice is heard.
When you create, and distribute content that social media followers find useful, entertaining, or insightful, your business becomes:
- more welcoming to new prospects, and
- more familiar to your current clientele
Remember: the better your content, the more interest your products and services are likely to generate. And that’s a direct line to collecting more leads, and inspiring more conversions.
Postcard-mailers play an important role in driving customers toward your social media content. In fact, some studies have suggested that more than half of consumers engage socially with a business in response to receiving their direct mail communications.
A great deal of your marketing success hinges on sending the right message, to the right person. By taking the time to understand which content – both written and visual – attracts positive attention on your social accounts, you’ll be better positioned to create direct mail materials that resonate with your audience.
2. C is for Connecting
The word social inherently implies community. And the millions of people who actively use social media platforms like Facebook (1.79 billion world-wide as of 2016) do so because they appreciate being part of a network that allows them to connect with others.
Research indicates that there’s every reason to believe that connecting with your customers through various social media channels will lead to greater brand loyalty. Meanwhile, paying attention to social media analytics can improve your client relations both online and off. It can also help to amplify your marketing message.
When you use your social connections and the data they generate to become better acquainted with your audience, you can use what you learn to polish your direct mail strategy. Information gleaned from:
- click-through rates,
- reader demographics, and
- knowledge of which topics interest your audience most
can prove invaluable for reaching a more targeted market with your postcard-mailers.
Statistics reveal that about 87% of us are inclined to share our positive experiences online – and that almost half of those shares are taking place on social media platforms. Every time your company’s name surfaces in an optimistic light online, it increases both the credibility of your print mail ads, and the perceived value of your business. And it’s this type of authenticity that makes yet-to-be-discovered customers more open to connecting with you.
3. C is for Conversions
Leads are great, but conversions are better. Social media platforms provide the fertile ground your business needs to access and cultivate new leads, and turn those leads into regular customers. Every conversion starts with a conversation, and there’s no better place to communicate regularly with your ideal market than at hangouts like Google, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.
It’s the low-cost volume of conversion opportunities offered by social media that endows it with such marketing clout. For little more than an investment of time, your business can benefit from the enormous potential of each:
- stimulating social comment,
- video snippet,
- shareable image, and
- compelling piece of content you create
to drive readers to your website, and persuade them to buy.
One of the best things about marketing through social media is that it’s highly scalable. You can start by investing just a few hours a week, then add the paid advertising options offered by sites like Twitter and Facebook if, and as, you see fit.
The great value that social media marketing delivers only gets better when it’s combined with a print mail campaign. Direct mail is the undisputed champ of consumer response, and since a large part of that response involves increased social media engagement, your colorful postcards represent a valuable link in the social media conversion chain.
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