Direct Mail – Cool Again Marketing

You may very well think that direct mail has been relegated to the dust bin of the marketing mix. Every business is inundated with offers from digital marketing agencies on how they can optimize your search engine ranking, develop engaging Google and Facebook ads, videos, and backlinks. At first glance, digital marketing seems to dominate the way products and services are promoted in local and global markets.

You may well ask yourself why you should allocate any part of your marketing budget to direct mail flyers, catalogs, coupons, and other snail-mail advertising. The surprising answer to that question is that direct mail outperforms e-mail and other marketing campaigns by a large margin. According to the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail campaigns beat e-mail by a ratio of five to one where it counts–the response rate.

Direct Mail Permission Omission

Have you ever been involved with an e-mail campaign? If so, then you soon realized that you can’t just obtain a targeted list and blitz the market with your e-mail ads. You require permission from the recipients or else your digital missiles will be blocked at the gate. So not only will your message not get to the right party, but your company can also get blacklisted by the very customers that you are trying to reach. This is one of the principle reasons for that low 0.2% response rate for e-mail.

Direct mail goes through physical addresses and is guaranteed to securely land at the targeted destination. If the graphics and message are engaging and offer tantalizing product/service offerings then it will make its way to the decision-maker.

Direct Mail Is Virus and Spam Free

The enemies of digital advertising are spam filters and virus security checks. This prevents the digital and bulk e-mail campaigns from being effective as they are often halted by these automatic gatekeepers. No matter how slick the digital content is it may be blocked by this invisible wall. On the matter of another virus, even in the Covid-19 era postal mail is considered safe and is indispensable in business communications.

Direct Mail Gets Desk Space

In a recent survey of customers regarding their direct mail, it became evident that direct mail often gets set aside on the recipient’s desk until the customer finds the time to study it more carefully. This action means that the client is enticed by the featured products and services in the first place. Taking action may take days or weeks but the printed matter is always staring them in the face. Compare that to e-mails and digital clickbait, which can be easily ignored and deleted in a flash.

Direct Mail Overcomes HR Churn

You have allocated a large slice of your budget to a digital marketing campaign, but employees change jobs frequently. Your targeted recipient may no longer be working for the company. Their company’s e-mail address will be deleted and disappear in cyberspace. Instead, if you send promotional material by ordinary mail that person’s replacement will still get it. They may also use the opportunity to introduce themselves by calling you back.

Direct Mail Reduces the E-Mail Deluge

According to recent statistics, the average customer sends or receives more than 140 e-mails per day. The majority of this digital communication goes to the trash bin before it is even superficially viewed. On the other hand, the traffic in direct mail has actually been reduced in the last few years, which increases their appeal and value. The flyers, catalogs, coupons, business postcards, and other direct mail advertising may lie on the desk of the recipient for a while. However, they eventually get to view them and take action if the offer appeals to them.

B2B Trust Factor

There is a reason why banks, government agencies prefer to use regular mail for more confidential communications. Digital networks can be hacked and confidential information stolen, jeopardizing the client relationship. Direct mail campaigns can include more trust sensitive information without fear of it landing in the wrong hands.

More Creative Advertising Options

E-mails are by their very nature short but often do not hit the sweet spot because there is only so much that you can do with a digital message. Direct mail offers many creative options that can entice customers and promote action. This can be achieved by free sample kits, attractive packaging, catchy envelopes, door hangers, and other colorful, eye-catching printed creations. They can be fun, three dimensional, and engaging. Properly designed they can ensure close to 100% opening and viewing by the targeted audience.

Social Media Friendliness

Actually, social media and mobile marketing are not opposed. They often complement each other. People on social media who have come across useful products and services in their mailers will inform their friends. This is particularly true if they spot something that offers outstanding discounts and good value. With a stellar response rate, no marketing program can be complete without at least considering the printed advertising medium.

Right Supplier Choice

Direct mail requires the collaboration of many professionals, such as art directors, photographers, and printers. Today’s fast-paced business environment requires ever-shorter lead times for designing, printing, and mailing. Ultimately, the most significant characteristic of a supplier is a real genuine passion to understand the customer’s needs in every aspect of the communication cycle. It also requires close collaboration and a deeper knowledge of their brands to deliver the quality that they deserve on time.