Businesses have access to so many different marketing channels today it’s hard to know what works and what doesn’t.
But it’s the tested and true channels – like direct mail – that deliver the best results.
Here are 10 benefits of direct mail marketing that will absolutely convince you to try this proven marketing channel.
Although we live in a digital world now with the lure of social media, video and ads, at the end we favor tangible forms.
We value having something in our hands. The reason people still prefer to read on paper, is that we remember better what we read in a real book than on an e-reader.
There’s still value in real objects.
And direct mail is no exception.
While we all might love the ease of email, the benefits of direct mail piece being efficient in the hands of your clients shouldn’t be underestimated.
Literally everyone loves mail.
If honestly, think about it, you will remember, how excited were you when you last opened an email compared to when you received an envelope with letter inside or nice postcard from someone?
Whether it’s because mail is becoming a lot less common or because we like the feel of personal attention when we open the mail with our name on it, there’s no denying getting mail is exciting.
Even though direct mail marketing is unlikely to evoke the same excitement as getting a letter from a friend, it’s much more efficient in increasing customer engagement than, for instance, email.
Recent research shows that, 54 percent of customers love getting mail from the brands they like!
It might surprise you, but direct mail marketing is the most cost efficient channel.
It ranks as an effective means to drive customer action. Where ATL ads might be great for increasing brand value, it’s the direct mail that will drive customers to respond.
So when you’re looking for channels that are going to contribute directly to your bottom line, it’s hard to look past the benefits of direct mail marketing.
One of the amazing benefits of direct mail is that combined with a smart data usage you’re given the chance to exploit prospects you might otherwise not get to reach.
Today, savvy business owners are abandoning the “send mail to everyone” strategy.
When you have a good grasp of your customer demographics, direct mail can deliver excellent results and saves you money.
By mapping your campaigns geographically and deploying them accordingly, you can personalize and customize to an incredibly specific degree.
This enables you to tailor your creative to specific environment conditions (e.g. weather, city vs rural), tweak offers to incomes, or even go to the household level and base your direct marketing campaign on previous purchasing history or position in the buying cycle.
Whatever works for your business, direct mail marketing lets you leverage data for targeted, specific campaigns. Read our previous post to learn everything you need to know about “The Perfect Mailing List.”
That shift to cross-channel marketing has created united advertising campaigns that work together.
And a key part of that puzzle?
Direct mail marketing.
Studies have shown that:
· Brand recall is 40% higher if you follow an email with a direct mail follow up
· Response rate is 26% higher if you follow a digital display ad with a direct mail follow up
The message is clear: If you’re not using direct mail marketing in your cross-channel strategy, you’re missing out on possible business opportunities!
Because of the relatively low initial cost of digital advertising, the web is saturated with ads.
The result? Consumers end up getting confused because they don’t know which ads to trust.
They no longer trust many of the ads they see online, and if they do, they proceed with caution. Consequently, only reputable brands have a chance of earning big rewards from digital marketing.
The good bit is, with time, direct mail marketing can help you build brand trust. Use consistent brand colors and designs in each marketing material and include graphic elements that your customers can find online.
At a cognitive level, one of the major benefits of direct mail is that it’s a LOT easier to assimilate.
In fact, a study found that direct mail requires 21 percent less cognitive focus to take in than digital ads.
As a result, with direct mail:
· Your brand and your call to action are 21 percent more effective
· You improve your ad impact by 21 percent
· You can send messages that are 21 percent more complex, and your customers will still get it! This gives you greater messaging flexibility.
Direct mail doesn't require a lot of technical know-how or a big investment in digital infrastructure. And unlike digital formats, you don't need to spend thousands just to have a chance of reaching your customers.
With a freelance designer and a copywriter, you can get a campaign up and running in no time:
· No need to wait for optimization
· Direct Mail nowadays is as easy to track as any other digital channel
· Direct Mail gives you an opportunity to grab your potential customer full attention with a physical mail piece vs the digital ads where you compete for a screen space and at the best you are limited to about 8% of the available display area.
The rapid deployment also means that you can turn around campaigns considerably faster than in alternative channels, thereby maximizing a potential sales window.
We hear every day about how digital channels have really opened up previously unexplored creative avenues like video, animation, and CTA (call to action) buttons.
But in fact, there are plenty of ways direct mail marketing can bring out the creative genius in you.
For example, some companies make a big impact by sending actual products through the mail. Others make statement with an amazing 3D mailers. If your brand is more sophisticated and soft type, you can keep it simple with some brilliant copy.
Direct mail is personal.
From the first mail systems, letters and direct mail have always been a personal thing. Direct mail marketing is no exception.
After all, what other advertising gets pinned to the fridge next to the kid’s artwork?
To sum up, there are a LOT of ways to benefit from direct mail marketing: higher return on investment (ROI), increased brand value and more.
And despite the enormous proliferation of different marketing channels, including digital banners, emails, PPC, advertorial content, and inbound marketing, the benefits of direct mail stay undeniable.
Ready to try your hand at direct mail marketing? Get in touch to see how we can help you.
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