Direct Mail Works!

As consumers become more and more infatuated by technology, many marketers have assumed their audience doesn’t want to receive direct mail. Because of this, they have stepped away from the classic method of communication and are focusing on digital marketing strategies. The truth is, however, our audiences actually like direct mail and see it as high in value, and trustworthy. In fact, 7.5 out of 10 people say print is twice as trustworthy as its closest rival- email.

Let us not slap ourselves on the wrist for being wrong, but instead, take advantage of the opportunity to reach our audience via direct mail, while the flow of traffic to their mailboxes isn’t too heavy. Think of it this way- If your competitors have wrongly slowed down their direct mail marketing, you now have the opportunity to step in while your audience isn’t being barraged by a number of other companies.

To dispel the rumor that print isn’t effective, here are a few direct mail stats that prove it works and your audiences is looking for it:

• 23% of people bought or ordered something as a result of receiving direct mail in the last 12 months
• 98% of Americans check their mail daily
• 70% of people think direct mail is more personal than email
• 29% of people try a business for the first time because of direct mail advertising

The best part of it all is how advanced our direct mail capabilities have gotten. Not only can we personalize direct mail with our target’s name and location by using variable printing, we can include PURLs (personalized URLs), CTAs (Calls To Action), and great graphics, all of which grab your audience’s attention and add the ability to track and measure your campaign’s success.

As a business person, you’re probably told to increase your social media publishing, your blog output, your SEO, etc. That’s all correct, and you should do those things, but you should also be taking advantage of your audiences’ appreciation for direct mail; and the fact that not many marketing departments are using direct mail as one of their communication vehicles. Get to know your audience, understand what they find valuable, give your mailer some personality, and make your way into your audiences’ mailbox.