Interactive direct mail can be a great way to increase the ability of your marketing campaigns to sell. Unlike many mailers that can be dismissed in seconds with a single glance, interactive direct mail is a mailpiece that invites involvement by a customer or prospect. As a physical channel, mail already has the power to stand out in the mailbox with copy and images that follow the AIDA (Attention/Interest/Desire/Action) model.  

But in modern marketing, interactive direct mail includes tools to more easily interrupt their thoughts and concerns and engage their senses. These help you engage the customer for a longer amount of time with your message or offer by making optimal use of ink and paper. Even without special finishes or embellishments that call attention to a specific feature, it is smart to create a different kind of experience for the recipient. To avoid the recycling basket, your campaign should consider interactive direct mail tactics as part of its strategy.

There are a variety of interactive direct mail elements that engage a target audience when incorporated into a campaign.

When scanned, a QR code bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds. Besides providing an outlet for your call-to-action, it also gives you an opportunity to engage your audience more deeply on other channels.

Mail campaigns that leverage a target audience’s data with personalized offers, headlines, and images are more likely to grab their attention, keep them involved, and motivate them to act.

The inclusion of a physical sample of a product first attracts attention by provoking curiosity about the weight or dimensions of the mailer in the prospect’s hands. And hopefully, a free sample whets their appetite for purchasing more.

Everyone likes to “win” something for nothing, but a scratch-off feature on a mail piece creates suspense about what might be revealed, like a discount or a gift.

Digital content is overlaid on a print piece when a mail piece is scanned, instantly providing additional information without going to a website or app.

Embossing and debossing, coatings, and spot finishes are three common ways to add dimension to a flat piece of paper mail, engaging both touch and visual senses.

Stickers, calendars, and address labels are examples of front-end premiums that consistently work well for non-profits in their fundraising campaigns.

Campaigns that include interactive direct mail include visual and tactile features that stand out in the mailbox. When done well, these interactive elements raise the value of your direct mail piece in several ways.

Instead of being discarded in a few seconds, like many efforts, an interactive direct mail piece invites the customer or prospect to spend more time with it. And neuroscience studies show that reviewing a mail piece generally takes more cognitive and physical effort than digital marketing.

Your brand and your message stands out when your customers interact with your direct mail piece in a unique and helpful way.

The additional time spent with a mail piece thinking about your offer or message, weighing it against other options, leads more consumers to convert by scanning a QR code, visiting a website or a physical location, or making a phone call.

For existing customers or donors and members, an interactive direct mail piece reminds them of the benefits of your product or service, and prompts them to renew or continue that experience.

An interactive direct mail campaign provides valuable marketing performance data on your campaign, especially across several channels.

For decades, interactive direct mail has engaged audiences thanks to visual and tangible tactics that trigger consumer behavior. Here are 10 examples of interactive direct mail that promote involvement both within the piece itself and into other channels and media. Look for ways to incorporate or adapt them in your campaigns.

The QR code on the back of this outer mailed by The Nature Conservancy gives prospects the chance to join the organization with a single scan that opens a giving page.

Function of Beauty offers customizable hair care products. Peel-up scent strips showcase a few out of many possible options on this self-mailer.

The address side of this postcard promoting Patient First includes a customized map showing a route from the recipient’s house to the urgent care center.

This interactive direct mail piece from a Marco’s Pizza franchise hides special offers under foil applied to the postcard.

Empire Today allows consumers to visualize flooring and carpeting options for any space in their home using an AR app activated by a scan.

The mailing side of this Capital One envelope has an embossed headline on a linen background to make it stand out, visually and tangibly.

CastleWorks, a home services company, mails a 6”x11” sticker that gets to work when the prospect peels it off its backing – the address side – and applies it to their water heater. In an emergency, they’ll know how to avoid danger, and who to call for repairs or service.

A personalized URL (PURL) is used by Wilkes University to reach out to a prospective student and link them to a custom landing page.

Options for responding to an offer include using a smart speaker, as in the CTA in this letter mailed by One Main Financial.

Great interactive direct mail is made, not born. To increase the likelihood of raising your response rates and improving your ROI, you need to do some things very well. Your interactive direct mail ideas should be aligned with the overall strategy of your mail campaign. Here are some best practices to make your mail more effective.

For example:

Your marketing campaigns can stand out in the mailboxes and hands of consumers when they incorporate interactive direct mail ideas as discussed in this article. Because of their tactile presence and features, they are more action-oriented and memorable than digital media.

At mailing.com, we have 60 years of experience in helping companies and non-profits raise their response rates and ROI by engaging their target audiences with innovative designs, omnichannel touchpoints, and more.

Contact our mailing experts today! We can help you choose the right approach to keep your prospects and customers involved and tailor a campaign that meets your specific needs.