Fashion-forward direct mail piece showcasing apparel and clothing items with stylish design elements, aimed at retail marketing

Direct Mail Marketing for Retail & Apparel: 7 Tips for Staying in Style

Despite concerns about inflation and interest rates, U.S. shoppers are continuing to spend on retail goods and apparel — a trend that will remain strong, according to the National Retail Federation, which forecasts growth between 2.5% and 3.5% over the last year for a total of $5.28 trillion.

To participate in that growth, retailers must establish themselves as the brand of choice.

Today’s retailers are struggling with intense competition. And in the current, oversaturated digital landscape, it’s increasingly challenging to capture attention — never mind sales. That’s especially true for smaller brands aspiring to:

  • Acquire new customers
  • Convert a higher percentage of web visitors
  • Engage with prospects throughout the buyer journey
  • Retain current customers
  • Reactivate previous buyers

For marketers in the retail and apparel industry, direct mail marketing continues to be a powerful tool for breaking through the clutter, reaching your target audience and, ultimately, driving conversions.

Direct mail and retail: Cut from the same cloth

What better way to showcase your latest clothing or accessories line than on the glossy, eye-catching pages of a thoughtfully crafted catalog?

Compared to online channels, direct mail pieces like catalogs have the power to create stronger emotional connections, boost brand recognition and recall, and drive interest for retail businesses.

Their tangibility also enhances direct mail’s shelf life. According to Postalytics, direct mail advertising pieces are kept in a recipient’s home for as long as 17 days. This significantly increases its chances of being pinned up on the refrigerator or left on the counter to be re-read, establishing a deeper bond between the brand and the audience.

And by integrating direct mail into digital campaigns, marketers in the retail and apparel industry can maximize the impact of their efforts — no matter what they’re selling.

Direct mail strategies for retail and apparel

It’s hardly an understatement that competition among retailers is fierce. So how do you stand out in the crowd? By integrating direct mail as a consistent component of your marketing campaigns.

If direct mail is a new channel for your brand, here are some best practices you can implement to help improve brand loyalty and retention, while helping to attract new customers along the way.

Optimize design and use of space.

When it comes to direct mail marketing in the retail and apparel industry, design is everything. Your direct mail piece should not only grab the recipient’s attention but also convey your brand’s unique point of view.

Whether you’re promoting a new product launch, a seasonal sale or a special promotion, your design should be visually appealing, on-brand and easy to understand.

  • Experiment with a variety of formats, such as postcards, catalogs or promotional flyers to test which resonates best with your audience.
  • Pair brand-consistent colors and fonts with bold headlines to grab attention and set the mood.
  • Use high-impact designs and detailed images to showcase your merchandise.
  • Select a paper stock that speaks to the quality and reliability of your brand.
  • Be consistent with your brand aesthetic, especially when it comes to messaging to build synergy between offline and online channels.
  • Consider using testimonials that speak to why a buyer should choose your brand over a competitor.

Invest in top-notch photography

Visual content is huge element of direct mail marketing. Whether you’re selling high-end men’s dress shoes or women’s swimwear, the look and quality of your images can make or break a sale.

In the retail industry especially, so much of your brand’s success hangs on the quality and accuracy of your photos. Strategically planned photos should showcase merchandise in its best light, clearly showcasing its quality and features.

Know your audience

Personalization is a key factor in the success of your direct mail campaigns. It shows that you care about your customers and understand their needs, leading to higher response rates and customer loyalty.

Leverage data analytics to segment your audience based on age, past purchase decisions, style preferences and more. Are you selling outdoor gear to camping enthusiasts? Sportswear to gym buffs? Show each segment that you understand their purchase needs, wants and preferences, and they’ll be more likely to respond to your offers.

For example, if you’re targeting fashion-conscious millennials, your direct mail piece should reflect upcoming trends, feature vibrant colors and showcase user-generated content from social media influencers. On the other hand, if you are targeting busy working professionals, your direct mail piece should focus on quality, durability and ease of care.

By sending personalized postcards with an exclusive offer on a product line they’ve previously purchased or a sneak-peek catalog of the upcoming season, you can capture their attention and drive them to take action.

In addition to data-driven personalization, consider your audience’s social values as well. If you’re targeting environmentally conscious consumers, printing direct mail pieces on recycled paper stock and highlighting your company’s sustainability initiatives can significantly boost engagement and brand trust.

Craft calls to action that motivate

No direct mail campaign is complete without a clear and compelling direction of what to do next. Whether you’re driving traffic to your website, promoting an in-store event or encouraging sign-ups for a customer loyalty program, your call to action should be specific, actionable and easy to follow.

Use strong, persuasive language and highlight the benefits of taking action to motivate recipients to respond. But to create a truly omnichannel experience, include a Quick Response (QR) code so interested shoppers can click for more information on your website or to check out an online sale or promotion.

You may also consider incorporating a personalized URL (PURL) to continue the engagement on an exclusive landing page. A retailer for children’s clothing, for example, might include a unique code for a limited buy one, get one deal on certain accessories.

To motivate recipients to act quickly, create a sense of urgency in your messaging. You may use phrases like “limited-time offer” or “limited quantities available” to motivate buyers to take the next step.

Track and measure results

Tracking and measuring the success of your direct mail campaigns is essential for optimizing future efforts and maximizing ROI.

  • Utilize QR codes and PURLs as noted above, plus unique tracking codes to accurately gauge response rates and track conversions.
  • Analyze key metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates to identify what is working and what could be improved in your campaigns.
  • Test different language and designs to learn more your audience’s preferences and behaviors to see which content and design strategies work best.

For example, a retailer can send a direct mail postcard with a unique QR code for a shipping discount to prospects who abandoned their online cart. When the lost buyer receives the postcard in the mail, you can track their engagement and interest on your website, gaining valuable insights into their preferences and behaviors.

This tactic also allows you to attribute sales and revenue directly to your direct mail piece. Did they finally push the purchase button? Did they add more items to take advantage of free shipping? By integrating tracking mechanisms with your CRM system, you can see if your efforts transformed lost buyers into new customers.

Refine your efforts

One-and-done approaches are rarely successful. Instead, continuous data-driven refinement and adaptation to consumer preferences will help ensure long-term success in engaging and converting target audiences — and ensure maximum effectiveness and return on advertising spend (ROAS).

As you test various offers, messaging and mailer formats, make the necessary tweaks to your campaign and continue to gather data and insights about audience needs, wants and motivations to purchase. By staying innovative and adapting to changing consumer behaviors and preferences, you can make sure you’re a step ahead of the competition and be ready for whatever comes next.

Retarget interested site visitors

If prospect engages after your initial contact, follow up in a timely manner to keep the momentum going. You can leverage direct mail retargeting to reach potential customers who have shown interest but haven’t taken action. And you can also use it to nurture buyers throughout their journey to build lasting relationships and drive repeat business.

The key is to stay in front of your prospects and keep the conversation going. By leveraging customer data and insights, a direct mail retargeting piece can be sent to engage prospects most likely to convert within 12-24 hours of their digital interaction.

A bridal boutique, for example, can send a postcard to a bride who recently visited the website to browse dresses, but didn’t book an appointment to come into the store and try on any dresses. By following up with a personalized letter or special discount that makes them feel special and valued, you may entice them to finally give business to your boutique.

Traditional, yet always on trend

Direct mail can be a marketing powerhouse. But only if it’s done well.

At LS Direct, we support our retail and apparel clients with proven solutions to build engagement and drive conversions. By combining insights from consumer behavior data with geographic and demographic information, we help businesses grow their online and offline sales with personalized and targeted direct mail solutions.

Download our eBook, How Direct Mail Bridges Online and Offline Marketing, for more strategies on using direct mail to bolster your next campaign results.