Many marketers believe that digital marketing, like social media and display ads, have wiped out direct mail marketing efforts. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, direct mail, a tried-and-tested marketing method, has a greater chance of being successful compared to digital advertisements due to its new advancements and physical and tangible nature. Small businesses and large companies can both generate effective results when using direct mail marketing.

To better understand how effective direct mail really is, we have created a list of some the top reasons why direct mail marketing is still relevant and truly successful.

1. Direct Mail Is Tangible

First and foremost, both digital and direct mail can use eye-catching colors and images or have a high response rate because of an intriguing call to action. Direct mail has an upper hand when it comes to tangibility though.

There is no denying that consumers prefer and engage with physical advertising on another level compared to digital marketing. With a digital ad or social media message, consumers can easily scroll right by your marketing efforts. While when your audience checks their mailbox, and scans through their mail, your mail piece is going to be felt and seen. Think about the weight, shape, colors, texture and coatings when creating your direct mail materials. Depending on your choices, you can create interesting and even more memorable experiences for your recipients.

2. Direct Mail Is Personal

Not only does direct mail provide a more personal experience simply from it being tangible, but thanks to modern digital printing technology, like Variable Data Printing, you can personalize each mailer to be unique to each and every one of your recipients. You can easily and affordably create materials with different names, addresses, messages, images, QR codes and more with Variable Data. This personalization creates a more meaningful and unique experience for everyone receiving your direct mail message.

3. Direct Mail Can Easily Target

Technology and data have helped direct mail advance tremendously over the years. These advancements allow you to create targeted marketing campaigns including reaching audiences with certain demographics, individuals living in a certain geographic location, and more.

One of the most common forms of direct mail marketing, is a bulk mailing option called EDDM or Every Door Direct Mail. With this mailing option you can reach consumers living in a certain ZIP code along with filtering your mailing list to include an audience of a certain income, age group, or any demographic.

Direct mail targeting does not stop there either, including mailing options like Proximity Mailing or Propensity Mailing. With Proximity Mailing you can reach consumers who surround your ideal customers or your business. While with Propensity Mailing you can reach individuals who are likely interested or who are in-market for your product or service.

4. Direct Mail Can Be Trackable

Although direct mail cannot be tracked directly, you can use a unique call to action that leads your audience to call, email, or visit your website, social media site or app. All of which can track engagement, response rates, and ROI.

By creating a unique QR code, phone number, URL, etc. you can see who visited your website or who called you because they responded to your direct mail piece.

5. Direct Mail Is Going To Be Seen

With so much digital clutter and ad blocking technology in today's online platform, it is hard to say if your digital marketing efforts will even be viewed. The great thing about direct mail, is no one can block your audiences’ mailboxes, and everyone checks their mailbox. When people scan through their mail pieces, yours is going to be seen.

6. Direct Mail Has Less Competition

Because of the many businesses who are scaling back on direct mail in favor of digital marketing, there is way less direct mail marketing materials your audience is receiving. This makes it easier for your message to get noticed. Not to mention if your marketing material is created with colors and texture that grabs your audiences’ attention, your message is going to stand out and intrigue your recipient when compared to bills and white envelopes surrounding it.

7. Direct Mail Is For All Age Groups

Using email, social media ads, or any form of digital marketing, decreases your chance of reaching an older or even a younger demographic.

Many senior adults choose not to engage with technology or do not have access to internet, preventing them from seeing your digital advertising. By sending an older demographic direct mail instead of trying to target them online, you will have a better chance of generating a response. This is similar for a younger demographic as well. A fitting example of this is toy companies who mail out catalogs to families with children.

8. Direct Mail Enhances Brand Awareness

As mentioned in reason #1 direct mail is tangible, providing a high chance that your marketing material will be held on too. Unlike digital advertisements, your audience can hold on to your material and whenever they see it, your brand will become increasingly familiar to them. Consider adding a coupon that your recipient may hold on to for a later date or include valuable information that they will want to keep on hand.

Even if an individual isn’t interested and throws your mailer in the recycling bin, they still saw it and felt it, making your brand more aware to them compared to a display ad they scrolled by.

So, how effective is direct mail marketing?

With digital marketing expanding every day, direct mail campaigns ROI, response rates, and engagement levels have only increased even more. Direct mail has many benefits that other marketing efforts just can’t meet.

Visit our mailing services page for more information on direct mail or click below to check out some of our advanced direct mailing options we can offer you.