Remember direct mail? It’s back and better than ever. Dimensional mail takes paper mailers to an entirely new, attention-getting level. Talk about teaching an old dog new tricks – dimensional mail is a clever 3-D version of those old-school paper mailers you used to receive (and maybe still do).
What Are Dimensional Mailers?
Dimensional mail can come in all shapes and sizes – including skinny.
The goal of dimensional mail is to get the attention of your target audience by doing three things:
- Elicit excitement over receiving a surprise package
- Entice the target to open the package, which has a call to action
- Entice the target to complete the call to action
The call to action could be almost anything your imagination can come up with:
- Go to a website to sign up for an offer
- Call to set up a consultation
- Come to an event
If your goal is to drive traffic to the web, Google Analytics or other digital tracking mechanisms can measure your success. When the potential client is on the site, they could sign up for a white paper, newsletter, or a trial service.
Dimensional mail isn’t flat; it can take the form of a tube or a box or a pop-up. Because the printing and shipping costs are high, Entrepreneur recommends a very targeted mailer campaign of around 100 or less. Unless, of course, your company has very deep pockets and lots of cash to burn.
The Value of Dimensional Mail
Dimensional mail can be very expensive, depending on what design you select. But most consider dimensional mail an investment worthy of the added expense because of the increased response rate that usually follows. New Breed Marketing puts it this way:
A cheap, mass-produced item sends the message that you don’t value the prospect, and it reflects poorly on you. To get your prospect to actually do something beyond opening the box, it’s important to have a high-quality idea that is well thought out and executed superbly.
The real value of dimensional mail is the effect; the Direct Marketing Association says not only has the response rate for direct mail remained fairly consistent over the years; B-to-B dimensional mail had a response rate of 8.51%, which is the highest of any direct mail category.
Elements of Dimensional Mail
While dimensional mail comes in many different forms, marketers say the best pieces employ several consistent qualities:
- Very targeted
- Has a clear and compelling call to action
- Has a “wow” factor
- Is long lasting – customers will use it
- Is consistent and integrated with a marketing drip campaign
Because dimensional mail is so expensive, we recommend it as the culmination of a weeks-long campaign with multiple creative touch points to a very targeted audience. This campaign could consist of emails, a phone call, and then the final “goodie” that you’ve been building up to – a dimensional mailer.
Here’s another tip – make sure you’re figuring in the costs of mailing a three-dimensional item. This may seem obvious, but if you’ve never done this before, it could be missed.
Need Help Creating Dimensional Mail?
Did you know Artisan Talent has the creative horsepower waiting in the wings to help you with important marketing projects like dimensional mail? Contact us today to find your next marketing guru! Whether you need an amazing Marketing Director or Project Management pro, we can help.
