To paraphrase one of the great American authors of all time, “the reports of the death of direct mail have been greatly exaggerated.” Yes, it’s true that today’s marketing world is highly focused on digital methods and avenues like social media or email. However, what you might not realize is that even though everyone carries a smartphone around in their pocket with them all day long, direct mail is STILL continuing to outperform digital in almost every way on a consistent basis.
It’s true. According to one recent study, direct mail marketing yields an average response rate of 5.1%. Email comes in at just .6% and social media comes in at a slim .4%. Not only that, but for every $167 that marketers spend on direct mail in the United States, they tend to sell about $2085 in goods as a result.
So why, exactly, is this the case even though we’re living in an age that becomes more and more digital focused by the day? It’s simple – direct mail marketing simply brings with it a wide range of benefits you won’t be able to replicate anywhere else.
The Raw Power of Direct Mail
One of the reasons that direct mail marketing is so effective is because it has a shelf life that far exceeds that of even the best digital campaigns. When you send out something like a plastic postcard mailer, it’s tangible – meaning it stays with the customer for far longer than something that is easily deleted or ignored like an email. Not only can this give a major boost to seasonal businesses, but it’s also a huge advantage for restaurants and other businesses that send out timely promotions on a regular basis.
Likewise, when you combine your direct mail marketing campaigns with a comprehensive demographic data driven direct mail analysis, you’re guaranteeing that you always have a fresh marketing list of end customers that is literally built and refined for your ongoing success. You can get incredibly personal in your efforts – remember that adding a person’s name, full color and more sophisticated database information can literally increase your average response rates by up to 500%.
Marketing is all about getting the right message in front of the right person at exactly the right moment in their relationship with your brand. Statistics and benefits like these go a long way towards proving that the best way to do that remains direct mail and it is likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
If you’d like to find out more about why direct mail is nowhere near as dead as some people would want you to believe, or if you’d just like to learn more about other related topics, please don’t delay – contact us today.
