How to Improve Your Direct Mail Strategy Through Database Analysis

You may think you know your target audience, but if you’re not taking advantage of database analysis, you might be missing out on key metrics that can help shape your marketing strategy for improved outcomes.

“Delivering on your prospect’s expectations requires a deep, thoughtful and holistic understanding of who your customers are and what matters to them,” says Diana Moore, Vice President of Technology & Production Services at SageAge Strategies. “Today, though, with the wealth of data available to us about our prospective residents, it can be hard to glean what information to use and how to apply it to your marketing strategy.”

Take a look at why lead database analysis matters, what you can learn from it and how to apply it to your direct mail strategy.

Why Database Analysis Is Critical:

• It gives you insight into your different target segments. While it can be helpful to have a general idea of your “ideal resident,” the reality is that no two individuals are the same. You may have one main target profile with a certain set of characteristics, but chances are, you have other segmented groups with different characteristics who require a different approach. When it comes to direct mail, knowing details about your target demographics, such as their geography and lifestyle can have a significant impact on how you choose to reach out to them.

• It shows you what matters to your prospects. How can you provide your target audience with the information they want if you don’t know what interests them? Database analysis shows you what topics are of great interest to your prospects and what falls flat. If you know, for example, that information on dementia and memory-related issues generate a lot of clicks on your website, you can deliver relevant information accordingly.

• It gives insight into how your target audience views you. You may believe prospective residents view your community as higher-end and luxury because the caliber of services and accommodations offered are at that level. Using targeted database analysis, though, you can find out if that’s how your prospects see you, or if you need to do some additional marketing and outreach to frame your community in the right light.

What Database Analysis Provides and How to Apply It to Your Direct Mail Strategy:

At a certain level, effective database analysis requires significant knowledge of math and statistics. You can hire a service to conduct this analysis for you, or hire a strategic partner like SageAge Strategies mature market research professionals. Once you do, though, there’s a wealth of knowledge to be gained, including:

Demographic data. Are your prospects Caucasian, African American, Latino, Asian American, etc.? What age range do they fall in? Do they have children? Do they live in homes they own, or do they rent? Are they primarily urban, suburban or rural? Here’s a critical piece of information: How much money do they make?

• How to use it: Showing your audience people and places that are familiar and that matter to them can make an emotional impact. If your lead base is primarily upper class with children, you could wow them with a high-end, complex-style direct mail piece featuring a family like their own. If they are younger and of a more modest economic background, you could provide them with straightforward, relevant content on how senior living is affordable for them.

Behavioral data. With database analysis, you can learn what your prospects are buying, what they’re spending their money on, whether they pay off their credit card balances each month, if they are on a fixed income and more.

• How to use it: Knowing how your target audience spends their money can lend a lot of insight into the information they may find helpful. Perhaps your prospects are spending their money on travel. You could provide them with a direct mail piece focused on the outing opportunities your community provides.

Geographic data. As mentioned, knowing where your leads are is critical to crafting a thoughtful marketing strategy. Regional differences, even small ones, can create huge disconnects in marketing materials if you aren’t careful. And, demonstrating that you are aware of the regional realities your customers face can go a long way in positioning yourself as a friendly neighbor.

• How to use it: Craft your direct mail messaging to reflect an understanding of not only your prospects’ needs, but their very neighborhood. A generic message about your state may grab a bit of attention, but a targeted message about a local election shows you’re paying attention. Customizing your direct mail to the geographic region you’re targeting makes your materials feel less “salesy” and more personal.

Conducting database analysis can be a complicated process and knowing what you’re looking for within the pool of data you’ll encounter is an artform. Luckily, it’s an artform the team at SageAge Strategies is experienced in practicing! Contact us today if you’d like to take your targeted marketing strategies to the next level in order to really ramp up sales.