What is Lumpy Mail?

April 26, 2016

Last Updated on September 8, 2020 by Rachel Leone

Looking for a way to reach customers at home and stand out in today's high tech world? You should consider lumpy mail!

Lumpy mail is just a fun way of referring to direct mail that has a lump in it! It can be any kind of curiously lumpy or oddly shaped mailing piece. Who wouldn’t want to open something like that?

It’s no surprise that companies are shifting almost entirely towards online marketing. There isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t hear about social media marketing, blogging, YouTube, or whatever today's hot app is. Yes, they’re cost-effective and there’s been great success using these platforms. But, believe it or not, direct mail is proven to be more effective than email marketing.

According to a study conducted by DMA

when direct mail is sent to an existing customer:

Direct Mail Response Rate of

0%

Versus Email Response Rates of Just 0.12%

40% of Customers

0%

Try a New Business After Receiving Direct Mail

70% of Americans

0%

Say Direct Mail is More Personal Than the Ineternet

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Should your business consider direct mail?

If you're trying to reach customers at their home, lumpy mail should be worth consideration. Below are a few reasons my clients still choose direct mail campaigns when marketing their businesses.

Time tested: Direct mail is one of the oldest forms of advertising. When done right, it builds trust in your brand and gets a good response.
Disruptive: Because we receive so many digital forms of advertising like ads and emails these days, a personalized piece of lumpy mail is almost always opened.
Establishes a connection: When a customer opens your package they’re establishing a hands-on bond with your brand, something email can’t do.
Memorable: By including a unique or useful gift, your business is far more likely to be remembered than a typical postcard. Think about your audience and choose an item that will resonate with them.
Simple: The process is straight forward. Select your product. Send your logo. Send a list of Names and Addresses in a spreadsheet document with your order, and we take care of the printing, fulfillment, and shipping.

How do you track the success of a direct mail campaign?

It’s really easy to find out if someone has taken action with direct mail. Below are a few ideas you can start to implement yourself.

Commit to measuring: Sounds silly, but if you don't make a concerted effort to measure, you'll never know how successful your campaign was.
Phone numbers: There are many services that offer unique phone numbers that can be imprinted on your promotional item or packaging. By choosing a new phone number with every campaign, you'll know exactly how well your lumpy mail worked.
Coupons and codes: If your business can create an offer to entice your audience, make sure to use a physical coupon or a digital code that can be tracked at your store, or on your website.
Landing pages: Just like a phone number, coupon, or code, a unique landing page can help you track how many people visit your website. Simply check your analytics to see how many direct visits came to your unique page during the time period of a campaign.

Any other helpful tips for sending great lumpy mail?

Hyperfocus: With direct mail, you’re able to zero in on the target market you’re trying to reach. Smaller, more specific campaigns that focus on a particular demographic area, age, income level, or special interests tend to get better results.
Research: Do your research before and after sending out campaigns. Did something work well? Did something go poorly? Learn from previous campaigns, and use that data to improve with each mailing.
Repeat: The more people see from your business, the more likely they are to recognize, trust, use, and refer you.
Be interesting: An effective direct mail piece that’s designed to pique the reader’s attention coupled with interesting copy and a fun giveaway is almost sure to capture the eye with a targeted call to action.
Trustworthy: When you send a direct mail piece, your brand gets delivered to someone’s home. Be careful that it doesn’t feel like spam and make sure that you offer something of value. This can begin or continue a positive relationship for years to come.
Cast a wide marketing net: Direct mail works best when it's part of a larger, cohesive marketing strategy. One piece of lumpy mail will never change your business, but when combined with a larger marketing plan, you'll see success.

Below are 8 of my favorite products to get you started with lumpy mail!