How Much is Too Much Mail?

Will this be the next mailing?

Several months ago I received a letter from the National Humane Society.  The envelope had some pictures of sad looking cats and dogs on the envelope.  My daughter, who is 10 and an avid animal lover, was attracted to the letter and read it.  She then asked if we could help.  I agreed and sent in a donation.  Since then, we have been overwhelmed with mailings from the NHS and a few phone calls thrown into the mix.   My wife and I have a running joke about the volume of mail I receive from them.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like dogs.  As a matter of fact I have a border collie and a Lhasa Apso (well, one dog and a rodent with hair…).  But the point is, I made a spur of the moment decision to donate.  It is not a cause we planned to continue investing in.

This led me to the question – how many contacts should a consumer receive from one company?  When planning your next direct mail campaign, try asking yourself the following questions to determine “how much is too much.”

The first question to ask: will the mailing be profitable?  You need to develop an estimated return on investment.  Identify the cost of the program and project the estimated number of responses.  Establish how many purchases it will take to be profitable.  Before you mail too much, make sure you’ve planned out your revenue projections carefully.

The next question to ask: is the offer relevant to the consumer?  If you’re a conservative republican one letter from a liberal democrat is too much.

Frequency isn’t the problem; there is no magic number of optimal contacts.  The issue is ROI and Relevance.  Mail customers/prospects as long as you have relevant information to communicate.  And if it’s profitable.

Now, back to the animal lovers of the world.  Doggone it, they sent another package last week.  This one included a blanket with dogs on it – very relevant to my daughter.  I decided to send in another donation because of it – profitable for the mailer.

Ray Fagan

About the author
As President and original co-founder, Ray Fagan is like HF Direct’s George Washington (but without the wig).  Ray champions the company’s core mission — to exceed expectations by providing top-notch client service and delivering results through direct marketing.
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