Direct Mail Service (DMS) - Darci Saunders
Prior to becoming “Direct Mail Darci,” Darci Saunders, the Marketing and Business Development Director at Direct Mail Service, worked on the client side of the business. She was an assistant editor of the publications journal at St. Francis Medical Center and was also a PR assistant at Communications Ink (which has since evolved into Brunner). So she knows a lot about what her direct mail clients are looking for, what they need to know, and the pitfalls they should avoid.
I talked to Darci about these needs and how direct mail marketing is evolving, the effects of COVID on the industry, and how to market a direct mail company in a digital world…
How has the direct mail industry changed since you started?
I was recruited by DMS about 17 years ago, after St. Francis Medical Center closed. At that time, of course, we only did direct mail. Now we offer data management and data manipulation solutions, email deployment, mailing services, and a range of digital marketing servies. We used to have one list vendor, one guy in Minnesota, to help us with lists. Now we have 8 - 10 vendors that we work with for list rental. But one of the biggest changes is that postal services and email are coinciding.
“For many of our clients, mailing lists are just a starting point.”
For many of our clients, mailing lists are just a starting point. You can use those addresses to mail, but add emails to geo-fence, re-target, find IP addresses - you name it. It’s a whole different world from when we started.
Right now I have to do a lot of educating. Teaching clients not only about the new digital services, but also about the ever-changing postal regulations!
Are you seeing changes to the industry as a result of COVID pandemic? Is there a mailing resurgence?
People have been touting a mailing resurgence for years! We’ve always been busy. From what we’ve seen, it’s not a resurgence - it plateaued and has remained steady. Not a lot of growth, but it’s been steady.
With regards to changes and COVID, the answer is yes, but things level out. Since most face-to-face meetings have stopped, a lot of companies are relying on direct mail to get their message in front of customers. Companies that haven’t used mail in the past are now using it. But the flip side of that is that some organizations have had to cease operations entirely, and so that mail isn’t going out any more.
And there’s of course a ripple effect. For instance, the CLO and Benedum might stop shows, and so the playbills and mailers for those shows don’t go to the printer, and the printer doesn’t mail the pieces.
That’s happening in a lot of industries, I suppose. So let's talk marketing. First off, your moniker - "Direct Mail Darci"…
I started using that name in a BNI group about 15 years ago. It helped me stand out and differentiate myself - it still does. When I respond to an information request or RFP, I put “Info from Direct Mail Darci” in the subject line, which helps reinforce the brand and the name. It’s in my LinkedIn profile and my correspondence.
Although, I do get asked if I own the company, and I’m like, “sorry, no.” But it really does help me get noticed!
So aside from direct mail, how does a direct mail company market themselves?
Most of the marketing I’m doing is via our new website, which I manage. It was just redesigned. I’m able to make updates and do editing. I had a graphic designer and a web designer construct it, but I knew that I wanted a clean, simple look. Kind of expansive. And I wasn’t interested in driving traffic for traffic’s sake, I knew that I wanted organic traffic - if someone was visiting the site, they’d most likely need what we offer. So I’ve seen an uptick in inbound leads. I’ve also always done a lot of networking and have gotten most of my business from referrals. Just doing a good job and doing right by my clients.
One thing that has been veryimportant, though, is maintaining our Google Business Profile. By that I mean doing audits - checking it for accuracy, checking and responding to reviews. It’s important for reputation management. I’ve definitely asked clients to leave reviews. Whether you know it or not - and whether you like it or not - people are out there talking about you. And they can be quick to criticize if they feel they’re wronged, but not always quick to talk about a job well done. So it never hurts to ask if they’ll give a testimonial or a review when they’re happy!
What about social media and content marketing?
Well, I manage our blog and I’m on LinkedIn. So I post content, but not as consistently as I should. Because I’m responsible for sales, account management, and marketing, I tend to do more marketing when business slows. I'll usually have to manage projects when I’m busy. So it really becomes an issue of time. I need to take care of my current clients first before trying to get new ones!
Well said. So what’s coming up in Q4?
This is our busy time, so I’ll be working on client projects - things like end-of-year appeals, newsletters, that sort of thing. It will be interesting to see how COVID affects the holiday season, it’s hard to tell if there will be any surge in holiday mail, but I expect so.
That would make sense. Ok last question - what's the weirdest thing you've seen sent through the mail?
One time we mailed a box of edible bugs for a computer service with a message saying, “Contact us to get rid of your bugs!” That was clever and unique. My clients have been creative in what they send - tube mailers and 3D (dimensional) mailers, and whatnot. There’s really no limit on what can be sent through the mail!
Go Directly to Darci:
Website: https://www.dirmailserv.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/directmaildarci/