The Future of Direct Mail

E-mail and SMS marketing are becoming more and more mainstream.

Social media is rapidly escalating in popularity as a marketing tool.

Printing and postage costs keep increasing.

You are probably wondering why even bother with Direct Mail. It’s antiquated and ineffective.

The USPS even has stats to support that opinion. In their annual Household Diary Study, they published that US households received 85 billion pieces of direct mail advertising in 2009, which was 15 % less than in 2007 and 2008.

So is there a future for direct mail? It appears there is!

According to the 2010 DMA Statistical Fact Book, 79% of households either read or skim junk direct mail advertising sent to their home. Within that 79% - only 38% are skimmers, with readers encompassing a whopping 62%!

That same publication also predicted that spending on direct mail marketing is expected to increase by more than $1 billion in 2010.

Why, if it’s so outdated?

It seems that even with the widespread use of emails, texting and social media, the average consumer has a soft spot for direct mail. Almost 75% percent of consumers say they prefer to receive promotions or offers by mail, compared to 18 percent who prefer e-mail for such communications.

So why do consumers prefer mail?

• It’s familiar - it has been around for awhile (the first modern mail-order catalog was produced in 1872)
• It’s less frantic – no flash animation or demands for immediate response
• It’s convenient - mail can be taken anywhere and read at leisure
• It’s extremely versatile! - it’s much easier to be creative and set yourself apart through mail than with a formatted HTML or text message.

E-mails and Texting are great marketing tools, however many marketers aren’t targeting their audience enough and consumers are finding their in-boxes are just getting too cluttered. They spend most of their time deleting e-mails rather than reading e-mails promoting genuine business offers.

According to a study commissioned by Pitney Bowes, 31% of consumers are less likely to discard unopened mail than they are to delete unsolicited e-mails (53.2 %).

If you aren’t totally sold on direct mail as an effective marketing medium, consider this – in 2009 the average consumer received 24.7 pieces of mail per week. That's the fourth straight year that shows a drop in volume. At the very least this means there's less of a crowd to stand out in.

By using a less crowded medium, you’ll find improvement in your response rates. Response rates will further improve if you can identify your target market and personalize your message. You can even try combining it with a Telemarketing, Opt-in Email and/or SMS/Texting campaign. Give the recipient something that’s visually appealing and tangible. Something to hold in their hands which gives them a definite call to action. Visit our website... Call us now... Text the following word to this number...

Many feel that Direct Mail is a thing of the past. However, if you target properly and are creative, it is still a useful and relevant medium to reach out to your customers.

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