By now, I’m sure you have all heard the hype surrounding direct mail that has ensued as a backlash to the digital revolution.

“Direct mail stands out in a world that bombards us with digital content.”

“It allows you to get your message into your customers’ hands, in the most literal sense.”

“Direct mail is less likely to get lost or looked over compared to digital communication.”

“The shelf life of your message is longer since people save mail to refer back to it.”

While all of these statements ring true, and there is a definite value to breaking through the clutter with print advertising, a promotional piece on its own is not good enough. To truly make an impact, you must acknowledge the interconnectedness of your omnichannel marketing approach.

Integrating social media with your direct mail campaign can help you influence prospective customers at different touchpoints and drive further engagement with your company. Here are a few ways that you can incorporate this strategy:

• Reach a group of customers in a specific location by pairing a direct mail campaign with geo-targeted advertising on social media. This helps reinforce your message and can increase brand recall within this consumer segment.
• Create a custom hashtag to accompany your direct mail campaign. Whether it’s promoting a local event or showcasing an upcoming sale, hashtags are a simple and fun way to generate customer engagement.
• Utilize direct mail to drive potential customers to your social media channels by advertising exclusive offers, available only to your followers. These offers should be personalized to your target and enticing enough to elicit a desired response.
• Expand your reach by running a social media contest. Use a QR code or personalized URL on your direct mail piece to send people to the proper channel. Encourage shares or some form of engagement to guarantee the contest extends to those outside of your immediate audience.

Once you’re done running your campaign, take advantage of social media analytics. See how many times your hashtag was used, check out your promoted post’s impressions and view what sort of engagement your channels received. Recognizing what worked and what you’d like to try in the future is important to ensuring your next campaign’s success.