Myth or Fact: Is Direct Mail Marketing Still Effective?

Myth or Fact: Is Direct Mail Marketing Still Effective?

Perhaps it’s a glossy post card in the mail box with a 20% OFF offer. Later that day, the subject line reads: it’s The 20% OFF SALE . You scroll down and click on the link and there is that same glossy post card. Every day we are getting some form of mail whether it’s “snail mail” or email. Regardless of that glossy postcard in your mailbox being delivered by the post office or some other delivery service, this is a form of Direct Mail Marketing. And that same glossy post card you received in your email is the digital equivalent. Today we get information faster than ever before, digital marketing has become the norm. So, is Direct Mail Marketing Still Effective?

First, let’s define what we mean by direct mail marketing. Direct mail marketing is a form of marketing that involves sending a physical piece of promotional material through the U.S. Postal Service or some other courier service to a home or business, according to shopify.com

Some people on the receiving end of direct mail post card, brochures, flyers, letters and more consider it “junk mail”. In the email funnel it is known as “spam”. Spam is easier to circumvent because you can place a filter in your email to detect and route it to your junk mail folder. Utilizing the post office or other delivery service you can’t circumvent the ads.

Second, why would you want to use direct mail marketing? According to entrepreneur, marketer, and best-selling author Neil Patel, neilpatel.com his research shows that direct mail campaigns actually had a higher Return on Investment (ROI) than both paid search and online display ads. He noted that “direct mail was only 1 percentage point behind social media, the second highest ROI medium”. So, Myth or Fact Direct Mail Marketing Still Effective? The Myth is direct mail seems to be considered by many to be on the decline. The Fact is direct mail is still effective.

Why is direct mail marketing still effective and working?

• Direct mail is interactive. The customer physically touches the mail and will look it over before deciding whether it’s a keeper or not, direct mail can assist in getting more eyes or visibility on your marketing. The 20% off post card has a call to action that motivates customers to keep the that piece of mail.

• Direct mail is memorable. Personalized messages can elicit a more emotional response which makes the marketing more memorable.

• Direct mail can have a bigger reach. Really? Yes, by targeting your audience. Niche in essence because you can target those who are less likely to use social media or email. The intent is for direct mail to convert potential customers when all electronic or digital ads would have missed them completely.

• Direct mail offers a lot of ways to get creative. Touch (add a unique texture) scratch n sniff (smell) or have a graphic that requires it held to light to see its message. The point is direct mail is tactile in nature therefore, it gives you a chance to engage more recipients using their senses more than digital marketing. Pair your social media and digital content marketing with direct mail for a well-balanced customer experience. Imagination paired with creativity allows for your marketing to be more innovative.

• Direct mail competition is shrinking. Many companies are using digital marketing more readily, email for example. Digital marketing is eco-friendly and you can see results quicker. Direct mail is easier to get noticed because the competition is lessened. Imagination paired with creativity will make your marketing more innovative.

Direct mail is not an expectation of people today so the distractions they are subject to using digital media are non-existent. The creativity does not mean they will act on your offer right away. They might keep the post card and refer to it when they need your product or service. So, be innovative too when using direct mail.

Myth or Fact, direct mail marketing IS still effective today? Fact, it is, however; there are a few dos and don’ts of direct mail.

Successful direct mail efforts should include the following:

• Do Define your audience. You must consider your product and/or service and who it would be best suited for and focus your efforts there. Although direct mail can have a great ROI and engagement rate, researching your target market is essential. It can help find where people who are most likely to be your customers live.

• Do Run tests first. After you have determined the zip codes and neighborhoods to target, send out a few test samples. Include a tracking mechanism like a unique coupon code, for example, to determine who is engaging with your marketing.

• Do Make sure you have a Call to Action. Creativity and innovation still require a clear message that requires an action.

The Don’ts of successful direct mail efforts are:

• Don’t Forget to proofread your mailers. Your first impression of your business is your mailer, so it should be mistake free of typo’s, including grammatical errors. Make sure the content reads well, too.

• Don’t Forget to follow up. Track how many people are responding to your mailers and note who they are so you can follow up with them later. This is an important step because it adds to your data base of engaged customers who are more likely to be responsive to future marketing efforts. And, this step also begins to establish the relationship that customers demand having with business they choose to patronage.

• Don’t Forget to direct traffic to your online presence. By linking your physical and digital marketing campaigns with trackable features, you can get an assessment of who is responding to what and where they are! You can conduct promotions on your social media channels too.

Myth or Fact, is direct mail marketing STILL effective? Fact, even though in our digital world of marketing today direct mail is still effective. It receives a higher response rate than most paid search ads and online digital media. Better ROI makes better sense to use it!

Direct mail marketing has a higher trust factor over other types of marketing. Why? Customers say it is more personal than anything online. Perception is reality and when you can connect with that of your customers, you have a winning strategy.

Myth: Direct mail marketing is not effective in a digitally driven marketing environment.

Fact: Direct mail marketing is personal, unexpected and can be very unique in its physical design WHICH CAN SET YOUR BRAND APART, emotional in its Call to Action and engaging to your leads.

What’s in your mailbox? A winning Call to Action created, produced and implemented with innovation by Blazing Kiss Media. We have the expertise to make your direct mail marketing successful.

About the Writer: Becky Blaesing owns Blazing Kiss Media. She loves rescuing dogs and traveling!