AMP 205: Cutting Through the Noise By Integrating Direct Mail With Digital Marketing With Ryan Cote From Ballantine

Email inboxes, social media feeds, and internet experiences are filled with marketing messages. However, what’s old is new again in marketing. Direct mail can be an effective way to cut through the noise and grab people's attention. 

Today’s guest is Ryan Cote, Director of Digital Services and Partner at Ballantine. Ryan talks about how to make the most out of direct mail by integrating it with digital strategies and tactics.

 

Some of the highlights of the show include:

• Two Things: Ballantine’s transition has combined direct mail and digital marketing
• High Demand: Direct mail isn’t dead, but has changed print marketing
• Mail vs. Email: Printed mail is less competitive than congested inboxes
• Print and Digital Tactics: Complement and work together for integrated campaign
• Informed Delivery. Find out from USPS what’s in your physical mailbox
• Direct or Digital? Determine which makes more sense for your brand
• Direct mail is expensive, so start with something simple and cheaper
• Mailing List: Stay specific and targeted to add value and get/keep clients
• Partners: Find broker/production company to help with printing plan
• Measure ROI Impact:
  • Put trackable phone number on mail
  • Set up special landing page
  • Some mail can't be tracked
• Two Data Types: In-house and rented to create mailing lists, fix discrepancies

 

Links:

• Ryan Cote on LinkedIn
• Ballantine
• USPS Informed Delivery
• Ben Sailer on LinkedIn
• CoSchedule

 

Quotes:

“Print is definitely not dead. It's just changing like anything, like SEO, like any digital channel. It just changes. We've had to change with the times.”

“It's usually less competitive in a mailbox. If you think about your inbox—how much email you get. Email is still very important, but it's just very congested.”

“They're basically just using direct mail and digital to fully blanket their customer because you don't know where you're going to get them to respond.”

“If you have the budget to do both print and digital, that's always the best-case scenario because you're getting multiple touchpoints.”