Blog / Target Generation Y With Integrated Direct Marketing Strategies

Target Generation Y With Integrated Direct Marketing Strategies

Sep 9, 2014   •   3 min read   •   Marketing Ideas

There’s an assumption among many that Generation Y – people born between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s – is extremely difficult to reach via traditional media and direct mail.

Like most assumptions, it’s equal parts true and untrue. While Gen Y is far more involved in digital media than previous generations, its members are also highly responsive to direct mail and other more “traditional” forms of marketing.

One reason for this is digital marketing overload. Like Allison Schiff mentioned in Direct Marketing News last year, many millennials face inboxes full of marketing messages, causing them to zone out of digital media and look to traditional media.

An impressive 50% of Gen Y finds print deals in newspapers. 33% of Gen Y uses direct mail to learn more about products, offers and brands. Far from being 100% digital, Generation Y pays attention to all marketing channels.

Since Gen Y pays close attention to almost all marketing channels, the importance of having an integrated marketing strategy – one in which your marketing message is consistent online, offline, in print and in direct mail – is greater than ever.

In this guide, we’ll share three effective strategies that you can use to combine your digital, print and direct marketing strategies to connect with Generation Y.

Capitalize on the personal touch of direct mail

In the age of automated email messages, the value of personalized direct mail can’t get any higher. Generation Y has grown up with the assumption that they’ll forever be a number in a database – an assumption personalized direct mail can break.

Instead of focusing purely on the message with your postcards direct mail campaign, focus on the medium. Personalized messages with a human touch stand out from the crowd of email and SMS messages and show people that your company truly cares.

Give your audience a unique, nostalgic experience by using the highest quality paper and materials for your direct mail campaign. The feeling of opening a personal letter is impossible to replicate online – use it to your advantage to create an impression.

 

Get in touch using direct mail, then follow up digitally

No small business postcard marketing campaign inspires people to take action and claim your offer right away. Many people need to be exposed to your message two, three or four times before they recognize its value and take action.

Use direct mail to create a wonderful first impression and familiarize people with your brand and offer. A few days later, follow up via email to remind your audience about your brand’s values, your products and your offer.

Following up via email has several advantages, including that it allows you to integrate links to products, offers and online brochures into your follow-up email.

 

Provide multiple response paths for customers

Generation Y is highly responsive to direct mail, but that doesn’t mean your direct mail campaign’s audience won’t want to claim your offer online. Generation Y has grown up alongside Amazon and iTunes, and its members love to shop online.

Synchronize your direct mail campaign with your online store by giving people a variety of response paths to your campaign. Let them claim your offer online, via your mobile app, over the phone or in person at your nearest retail store.

The more response paths you offer, the greater the percentage of recipients will be interested in claiming your offer. From QR codes to online coupons, give recipients multiple ways to engage with your brand and you’ll significantly boost your response rate.

 

Want to learn more about marketing to this generation? Read Reaching Generations X and Y Through Direct Mail Postcards.

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