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Effective Direct Mail Campaign for HVAC

Effective Direct Mail Campaign for HVAC

Direct mail has become an overlooked advertising channel in the HVAC industry. When direct mail is done well and at scale, it is still one of the most cost-effective and targeted marketing solutions in the game. But for an HVAC direct mail campaign to be successful, it needs to follow a certain set of rules and best practices.

3 Tips for Creating a Targeted Direct Mail Campaign

A while back, the Direct Marketing Association found that every dollar spent on print marketing could create an average of $12.57 in sales. A recent Gallup poll showed that 41% of adults look forward to checking their mail each day, and another survey discovered that 73 % of consumers actually prefer mail to other marketing platforms. Follow these tips when setting up your next HVAC direct mail campaign.

Personalization is Key; Don’t Spray and Pray

A personalized direct marketing piece sent to a targeted individual is more effective for your HVAC business than
an impersonal direct mail blast. You wouldn’t send a postcard for a $49.99 AC tune-up to apartment residents, for example, and sending a rebate offer on a new HVAC system to customers who just paid full price would not be a good idea either. Once you have established your target, make sure you personalize your material accordingly.
Try hand – or laser-addressing your mail and using a “real” stamp instead of a meter mark will make for
better responses.

Send a Consistent Message; There’s more to it than just Sales

Receiving direct mail that is always trying to sell you something is similar to a neighbor who only stops by when he needs something from you. You don’t want your customers to grow weary of your sales offers, it’s important to try mixing it up with appointment reminders, thank-you postcards, surveys, and newsletters. Remember to keep your brand message consistent throughout all your direct marketing pieces. It is vital for customers to immediately associate the name of your HVAC company with savings, quality, service, and your specific brand message.

Test Your Offers; Don’t Disregard Multi-Channel Opportunities

A low response rate to an untested direct mail campaign costs you a lot beyond the wasted postage. For example, if you had tested the 5,000 pieces you sent out beforehand. You might have discovered that a simple headline change increased your response rate from 0.75 percent to 1.2 percent. That would’ve meant many more leads, potentially costing you thousands in sales. Testing at least 5% of your mailing list before you launch a campaign can lead to an overall better response rate. It’s also important to keep in mind the value of a multi-channel approach. Test CTAs and offers that utilize various combinations of platforms and landing pages to see which ones provide the best results for your target market. According to Direct Marketing News, you can increase your direct mail response rate as much as 35 percent with a multi-channel approach.

Create a Direct Mail Campaign that Gets Results

Even when done as part of a group or co-op program, direct mail campaigns can mean a significant investment for manufacturers, distributors, and individual HVAC dealerships. The response rate of your direct mail campaign will only increase as high as the quality of the campaign itself.

To do the job right, you need to work with an agency that has experience with multi-channel direct mail marketing for all levels of the HVAC industry — local, regional, and national. At Figment Design, we keep all of our marketing and advertising specialties under one roof to expand our ability to execute any campaign, regardless of its scope. Our print production team can create an effective direct mail campaign designed to get results. Contact us today to get started in planning your next direct mail campaign.