Direct Mail Campaigns

An (exclusive) invitation ... to spend more money Just received an elegant grey box from American Express with a striking hourglass - beautifully crafted direct mail making its case for their Platinum Card. In today's digital tsunami of credit card offers this dimensional mailer stood out. It made me reflect on the psychology of exclusivity marketing: Physical > Digital Studies show direct mail response rates (5-9%) dramatically outperform email (1%). In a screen-fatigued world, tangible experiences create deeper emotional connections. The Exclusivity Paradox While everyone chases "premium" positioning (most credit cards now offer airport lounge access), true differentiation comes from masterful execution. This wasn't just another package - it was an experience. The Clutter Conundrum Credit card benefits have become commoditized: Points/miles ✈️ Lounge access 🛋️ Insurance coverage 🛡️ Concierge services 📱 Yet AMEX maintains its premium positioning through consistent brand storytelling and selective targeting. Key Marketing Insight: In a noisy world, sometimes whispering (through carefully crafted physical experiences) speaks louder than shouting digital offers. What's your take on exclusive marketing in the digital age? Has a piece of direct mail ever caught your attention? #Marketing #BrandStrategy #CustomerExperience #DigitalMarketing #DirectMail #FinancialServices #MarketingPsychology #CustomerAcquisition P.S. And yes, I appreciate the irony of posting about a physical mailer on LinkedIn!

If you're not thinking about direct mail in 2025, you're losing out on perhaps the biggest opportunity in marketing. The mailbox is becoming the new inbox. It sounds old school, I know. But brands are seeing real results from direct mail. While a great email might get a 20% open rate, a well-timed postcard or offer in the mail lands directly in the hands of your customer. No spam folders. No competition with 100 other brands. Here’s how smart Amazon brands are winning with direct mail: 1️⃣ Inserts with irresistible offers For example, a Nespresso pod company includes a QR code in their packaging offering a free espresso cup. Customers scan, claim their gift, and BOOM, the brand now has their name, email, and address for future marketing. 2️⃣ Warranties Electronic brands on Amazon have a unique opportunity for customer data. Many use inserts to push warranties for their products. Same premise as above: scan, register, and give the company your info. 3️⃣ Once you have their data, keep reaching out. A clothing brand I bought from sent me a postcard with a personal note from the CEO and a 30% discount for my next order. It stood out, and I actually paid attention. How many marketing offers do you still get in your mailbox? Not as many as you did 5 or 10 years ago? Exactly. That’s why this approach works. It’s unexpected, tangible, and trusted. Direct mail is low competition, high impact

The best year-end campaigns aren't about fundraising goals…they're about leading others to an ideal FUTURE. During a webinar I hosted a few weeks ago, I took a poll and asked people about their fundraising goals. So many orgs told me what their goals were, but couldn't tell me WHY those were the ones they set. One org even said, "Well, we just want to raise more than we did last year." The way I was shook 😳 I was shocked because "raising more" is not a goal. In fact, simply raising more with no WHY is what leads us to burnout AND donor fatigue. Here's the truth: You DO know why you need more money. You're just not saying it out loud. You're listing what you're doing instead of painting the picture of what changes when you succeed. And here's the thing, you might get a donation with just a number. But you won't get a long-term BELIEVER in your mission. And I always say believers lead your organization to BREAKTHROUGH. So before Giving Tuesday hits, try this: Get CLEAR → What exactly are you working toward in the next 3-5 years? Paint the picture vividly for yourself. Get SPECIFIC → What are you raising money for RIGHT NOW? People want to know exactly what change is being made and how it connects to your bigger vision. Get CREATIVE → Don’t just state the goal, show it in action. Use impact stories. Get creative on social. Make people FEEL and LIVE the why, not just know it. Don't just tell donors what your goal is. Tell them how the world looks different when you succeed. Then invite them to that destination with you.

✨ What does iterative multivariate testing look like? Take a look at the chart below. A couple of years ago we helped a client make a big decision: should they enter a new market? Serious investment would be required, and the company’s board wanted evidence that the company could generate demand in a market with a lot of established competitors. The company had ZERO knowledge of the new market (and the market had no knowledge of the company). Together, we developed hypotheses about what might work to position the company for success. I want to note the plural in that last sentence: HYPOTHESES. That’s how multivariate testing works. You test MULTIPLE hypothetical strategies at once with MULTIPLE audiences. It’s very different from how most people approach strategy, which is to test (if they test at all) that one perfect strategy. Multivariate testing of strategy is incredibly powerful. In the chart below, you can see the results of the first set of tests—those first lumps of traffic and revenue on the left. Clearly there’s something there, but nobody’s killing it, right? Wrong. Averages are deceiving. In the second wave of testing, we dropped the losing strategies and audiences and focused on the winners. Things started to pick up. By the third wave of testing (which was really a series of mini-waves), we weren’t just finding what worked—we were optimizing it. We call this sort of testing HEAT-TESTING, because it finds the ‘hot spots’ between strategy and audience. What does heat-testing tell you? Which audiences are most receptive How large those early audiences are How to position your product Which user flows are most productive in generating interest or revenue The cost to acquire a customer Whether you should move to the next step of a big investment I’ve been a strategist my entire career and here’s what I know: no amount of competitive analysis, focus groups, and surveys will deliver the one perfect strategy. Testing multiple strategies, ideally in an environment that gives you real-life, behavioral feedback, gives you raw material to iterate your way to a validated strategy. Always be testing.

Breaking the Meta Money Trap: Why Smart Brands Are Going Back to Mail I've watched brands hand over big chunks of their money to Facebook and Instagram ads. Then they wonder why it costs so much to get new customers. Want to know a better way? Let's talk about good old mail - like postcards and letters. What The Numbers Show: When I helped fix two big companies (AutoAnything and Karmaloop), we saw that putting more money into Facebook and Google ads just wasn't working well. We kept paying more but getting less back. But then we tried something different. We took our email deals and sent them as postcards instead. Guess what happened? Sales went up 10-20% right away! Why Mail Works Better Than You Think: 1. You Reach Everyone: Email only gets to about 15-20% of your customers. Many people don't open emails or have unsubscribed. But mail gets to everyone on your list. 2. Your Ads Actually Get Seen: Since Apple made those privacy changes, Facebook ads don't work as well for showing ads to people who visited your site. Mail always shows up at their house, no matter what. 3. You Can Find New Customers: You can still use mail to find new customers who look like your current ones. Big brands like Dr. Squatch and HexClad do this all the time so they don't have to rely only on Facebook. It's Faster Than You Think. Mail isn't slow anymore. We've helped brands launch entire Black Friday campaigns in just 24 hours. That's as fast as making new Facebook ads! Try This First. Start small: find customers who bought once but unsubscribed from your emails. Mail them a special deal to buy again. Or send postcards to the same people getting your emails. You'll likely see sales go up 10-20%. While everyone else fights over expensive Facebook ads, mail can quietly add more profit to your business. It might seem old-school, but the numbers don't lie - it works every single time. Are you still spending all your money on Facebook ads, or are you ready to try something that actually works better? #Marketing #CustomerAcquisition #DirectMail #GrowthStrategy

Lots of clients have asked me over the years how they should think about their direct mail offer strategies. While the answer is nuanced, here are some high level principles: 1) Offers are a testing lever like any other - e.g. format, messaging, visuals, etc - and should be subject to rigorous A/B or multi-variate testing. 2) For most client categories / verticals, we’ve seen offer variants as a whole outperform “no offer” variants on an all-in CAC/CPA/ROAS basis, including when the discount cost associated with the offer is factored in. So if you can run with an offer - any offer - it will usually help channel performance. 3) An offer doesn’t have to be a discount. It can be anything that has perceived value to the customer - including a service perk or a special add-on. One example: clients in highly regulated industries - e.g. healthcare, financial services - often can’t run with a discount. Creative offers like free consultations, free trials, waived fees, access to better / specialized service tend to work well. Another example: clients in fashion and luxury often don’t want to discount for branding reasons. GWPs, bundles, and loyalty-based rewards tend to work well. 4) % off offers work particularly well for diversified retail/e-commerce as well as for higher AOV value props. These offers tend to promote discovery / browsing, drive up first-order AOV, and usually produce higher customer retention rates for clients that have multiple categories / aisles. 5) On % offers, this won’t sound like rocket science, but the first number matters the most. For example, clients don’t often see a meaningful lift on a 10% vs. 15% offer, but they will on a 15% vs. 20% offer. 6) $ off offers tend to perform strongly in lower AOV verticals - e.g. AOVs under $80. 7) Both % and $ off offers can be paired with minimum spend thresholds (get $5 off your purchase of $50 or more) and tiered thresholds (get $5 off $50, get $10 off $85) to test impact on AOV, basket mix, and retention. 8) Multi order offers ($10 off your first 3 orders) can sometimes outperform a richer, traditional first order offer ($25 off your first order) for replenishment / subscription clients. You’ll see multi-order offers often in food and grocery. While these types of offers require a longer time-horizon for analysis and built-out promo systems, they can often yield interesting, meaningful results. 9) Finally, if you can legally and financially use the word FREE in an offer, do it - that word is magic, and almost always kills it on response. ;)

How to raise $50,000 in 30 days using 7 AI prompts (you’ve never thought to use): AI won’t replace fundraisers. But fundraisers who use AI strategically will absolutely outperform the ones who don’t. These 7 prompts aren’t basic. They’re engineered to unlock human behavior, decision-making psychology, and funding at scale. 1. Prompt: “Analyze our past 10 email campaigns. Identify the emotional tone, structure, and CTA that drove the most clicks and donations. Suggest 3 new email angles based on behavioral trends.” Why it works: Donors respond to patterns. This prompt uses your own data to reverse-engineer what actually moves people, not what feels right. 2. Prompt: “Write a donor pitch using the ‘Commitment-Consistency’ principle from Cialdini, reference a donor’s past actions and show how giving now is aligned with who they already are.” Why it works: People are more likely to act in ways that align with their self-image. Donors who’ve volunteered, signed petitions, or shared your content? This is how you turn engagement into dollars. 3. Prompt: “Create a 3-part story arc for LinkedIn posts that subtly shift a corporate contact from passive observer to strategic partner, without ever asking for money.” Why it works: It’s called affinity priming. AI scripts the story. LinkedIn builds trust. You close the deal. 4. Prompt: “Generate 5 donor thank-you messages tailored by giving tier, use loss aversion and social proof to increase chances of a second gift.” Why it works: “Thank you” is a sales moment in disguise. This prompt makes it count. One client turned 23% of first-time donors into recurring givers using tiered messaging like this. 5. Prompt: “Draft a voicemail script for a lapsed donor using the Ben Franklin effect, ask for a small favor instead of a gift, to reactivate the relationship.” Why it works: People feel closer to those they help. Use it to rebuild trust without making an ask. Often, the donation follows. 6. Prompt: “Identify 3 psychological barriers to giving on our donation page. Rewrite the copy to reduce friction using clarity, scarcity, and immediacy.” Why it works: Most pages leak donations. This prompt fixes that, leading to real revenue recovery. One org tested this and saw their average donation increase from $48 to $71 just by shifting copy. 7. Prompt: “Write a short pitch that reframes our mission as a business case for corporate ESG leads, focused on risk reduction, brand lift, and employee retention.” Why it works: Companies don’t give because of charity. They give because it aligns with strategy. This prompt flips the frame, and unlocks five-figure partnerships. These are just a few of the 40+ AI scripts inside our AI Launchpad Cohort, a hands-on experience for nonprofits ready to raise more with less guesswork. Comment Launchpad and we’ll send you details about the upcoming cohort. With purpose and impact, Mario

Let’s talk about direct mail. (Yes, I’m a digital marketer about to sing the praises of snail mail.) Direct mail isn’t dead. It’s back—and it’s delivering. We’ve launched several campaigns recently, and the results have been some of the strongest we’ve seen all year. Here’s the key difference between junk mail and growing sales: Intentionality. No generic postcards. No “Current Resident” nonsense. The campaigns that work are laser-focused. And better yet, they’re based on action and intent, not just having a mailbox. I’m talking: ➡️ Clean lists of actual homeowners in the service area with indicators they need you. ➡️ Messaging that solves real problems—seasonal repairs, time-sensitive offers, high-ticket installs that cannot be DIYed ➡️ Simple, scannable CTAs that get your prospect from mailbox to phone call in 10 seconds or less ➡️ A digital follow-up funnel that keeps the brand top of mind When you treat direct mail like a one-touch billboard, it fails. When you treat it like a first handshake in a tight sales pitch, it converts. This strategy is data-backed and proven: According to the ANA, direct mail drives an average of $4.09 in revenue for every $1 spent—more than paid search and online display. Pair it with digital, and conversion rates increase by up to 28%. The hill I’ll die on? Execution trumps tactics. Every. Single. Time.. Direct mail still works—especially when everyone else is zigging digital-only. Are you skeptical about it? I’d love to hear why. #b2bmarketing #directmail

Your case for support is boring. Not because your mission isn't important. Because you're writing for committees, not humans. Here's what every case statement includes: ⦿ History of the organization ⦿ Impressive statistics ⦿ List of programs ⦿ Credentials and awards ⦿ How funds will be used Here's what donors actually want: ⦿ What changes if I say yes? ⦿ What breaks if I say no? ⦿ Why me, why now? ⦿ Who else believes in this? ⦿ What happens after I give? The case statement that raises money reads like a invitation to adventure, not an annual report. Try this instead: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 Paint the world you're building, not the history you're preserving. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 Use "you" more than "we." They're the hero, not you. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 Opportunity expires, not hope. FOMO beats obligation every time. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 Winners attract investment. Losers attract pity. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 They're not buying services. They're building legacy. One client rewrote their case. Removed every committee word. Told one powerful story instead. Their campaign goal? Exceeded by 40%. Your case for support shouldn't sound professional. It should sound unstoppable. When did you last read yours out loud?

I just audited an account spending $573k/mo on Meta This one mistake loses them $100k+/mo: Killing ads too early. Let me explain: Being profitable at scale is the goal of most DTC brands. And all brands understand that creative is the biggest lever they can pull to achieve this scale. This means they produce ad creative in high quantities. But are testing them completely wrong. For many DTC brands, simply testing 200 ads per month is the goal. → Creative production is rushed → Corners at cut to meet delivery deadlines → Statistical significance in the creative testing process → $100k+ of testing budget is lit on fire only to find ads that have a 0.9x ROAS at scale This suboptimal creative testing means winning ads are killed early. And bad ads are moved to scaling campaigns based off 'early signals'. Which eventually grinds the ad account to a halt. With no new winning ad being seen in the account for months. However, this is all be solved with a robust creative testing process. So here’s the exact creative testing process we will be implementing for the brand I audited: 1. Pre-Launch: → ABO campaign → Broad targeting → 1 concept per Ad Set, with 4-5 variations of each concept 2. After Launch: → Monitor for 5-7 days, or until ads spend more than 3 times AOV → A wining ad will have a CPA below the target → A losing ad will have a CPA above the target → Kill any losing ads → Increase budget on winning ads by 20-40% every 48 hours 3. Scaling: → When winners are found, duplicate winners to the scaling campaign → DO NOT turn off the winning ads in the testing campaign ↳ These ads are making you money, it would be foolish to turn them off But here's where most stop. And go blindly on to the next round of creatives without diving into the data. You need to take to take the time to understand WHY each ad is a winner or loser. To inform your creative strategy moving forward. Look at every element of the ad: → The creator → The angle → The pacing → The creative format (Video, GIF, Static) → The video length → The hook → The messaging → The delivery medium (brand page, whitelisted page etc.) Come up with a hypothesis as to why each ad won/lost based on the above variables. Test that hypothesis. Extract key learnings. And use these learnings as the North Star in your creative strategy moving forward. Rinse and repeat this iterative process. And profitable scale will be the new reality for your brand.