Direct Mail vs. Digital Marketing: Which is More Effective?
09/05/2014
Focus on the Right Time to Send Direct Mail
01/06/2019
Remember the ‘good old days’ when direct mail advertising was accessible to and used by all businesses – big and small.
Then along came the internet.
It seemed people fell out of love with printing brochures, catalogues, and letters. They quickly took up online stores, emails and text messages as their way to connect with customers.
Let’s face it, in a world full of digital, direct mail feels old and clunky.
However, studies conducted show direct mail distribution is a highly effective way to reach current and prospective customers.
So why isn’t it dead? What does direct mail have over other forms of marketing?
It’s Tangible
With digital marketing, it’s only possible to hit one or two of the human senses – sight and hearing.
But direct mail literally gets in the hands of your target audience. And, with a creative direct mail marketing campaign, it is possible to engage all the 5 senses – touch, hearing, sight, taste, and smell.
Because humans experience the world through their five senses, the more of these that are activated, the more likely recipients will engage with your message.
The reason – giving, receiving and handling tangible objects remain deep and intuitive parts of the human experience.
Also, it sticks around and clutters physical space. When you receive a marketing postcard in the mail offering $10 off your next meal at the local pub, you don’t just throw it in the bin, you put it on the fridge. And it sits there, reminding you every single day about the brand and the offer.
Even if the offer is not acted upon, the target audience is being exposed to the brand daily. Whereas email is easy to forget. It’s only around when the screen is open on the particular email.
But a well-targeted direct mail campaign enters daily life and often sticks around.
Personalised
Direct mail marketing has become less familiar with the uptake in algorithms and pay-per-click advertising.
So, when people get something in the mail that is personalised, they take notice. This is something you can take advantage of.
Personalising a message is as simple as directly addressing a letter to the prospect or indicating the closest store location to them.
Timely
Research shows that 82% of people check their letterbox daily and an additional 11% check their mailbox every two days.
Unlike email marketing, there is little chance of the mail getting swallowed by the spam folder.
If your message or special offer is time sensitive, direct mail distribution is the way to go. You know that the recipients will get the offer in their hands in time to act. It won’t get lost to the spam folder.
Targeted
As long as you know who your audience is, direct mail marketing can be extremely targeted.
You can also personalise it further by targeting specific audiences within your local market with tailored messages for more significant impact.
Also, direct mail marketing distribution reaches all age groups. Not just the people who own smartphones. Everyone checks their mail.
It gets attention
The internet is full of marketing messages. But mailboxes aren’t. There is less noise.
Imagine if you got an email notification about a 25% off special at a store you had never bought from. You have between 4 and 20 tabs open, a meeting in 10 minutes. And you haven’t eaten all day.
Are you going to open the email?
In contrast, most people open their mail. They are usually at home with fewer distractions. They are willing to scan through the mail to make sure they aren’t missing anything important. You have a chance of getting people’s attention with a well-crafted message.
And because it is more likely to get read, it increases brand awareness. Even if the first campaign is unsuccessful.
Measurable
There is a perception it is challenging to track a direct mail marketing campaign.
Although it isn’t as technically savvy as digital marketing, it is still possible to track response rates, ROI and overall engagement.
- If your call to action is getting them to phone your business, have a dedicated line printed on the direct mail material, so you know they are coming from that campaign.
- If it is to visit a website, have a unique landing page set up for the direct mail campaign to track the results.
High ROI
Direct mail still provides reliable returns that often surpass digital channels.
Australian response rates to direct mail marketing has been cited at 4.4%, as opposed to email which is 0.12%.
So, despite what people say, direct mail is still holding its own against other marketing channels.
And technology is helping the ROI as well.
With the production of more appealing digitally printed products, combined with automation that strips away much of the time associated with preparing direct mail, the ROI is rapidly increasing.
Direct Mail works well with other strategies
Every excellent marketing strategy uses multiple channels. To improve your response rates, campaigns must consider a multi-pronged approach.
When you make the direct mail interactive, it ticks off on multichannel mediums.
Give people something to do with the direct mail materials, such as watching a video, QR codes, instructing them to take a selfie and post with a unique hashtag you supply them to get involved.
Combining direct mail with savvy digital marketing techniques increases the personability of the message being sent.
Combining your direct mail marketing campaign with an email marketing strategy and online advertising channels will drastically improve your response rates.
While you shouldn’t just invest in direct mail, you should consider it to be an essential component of your business marketing strategy.
It may be time to fall in love with direct mail again because it is far from dead.
At Active Mail, we can offer you a high calibre Direct Mail Marketing production service.
Covering all points of the direct mail marketing process, from collaborating on your creative, through to database tweaking and full production of all elements.
Our experienced staff will take the stress and headaches out of developing a professional Direct Marketing solution to fit your unique business.
Take the first step now and contact us for a no-obligation consultation.
