The Critical Role of Direct Mail in a Marketing Mix
Martech Outlook | Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Direct mail enables marketers to communicate with a larger target market segment. In contrast to email marketing, a direct mail campaign can be customized to reach a specific audience.
FREMONT, CA: On average, it takes eight touchpoints for a business to secure a meeting with a prospective client or close a sale. To guarantee that as many clients see the brand as possible, marketers should use a multi-channel strategy for marketing. This includes digital channels like email, social media, pay-per-click advertising, and successful physical methods such as direct mail.
While many modern marketers dismiss direct mail, the truth is that it remains a tried-and-true technique of contacting clients where they are. Digital communications are advantageous—particularly in light of the expansion of e-commerce—because they are inexpensive and instantly available. On the other hand, print items can pierce through the digital noise, create memorable experiences, and deliver results.
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Increase the visibility of the marketing message
One of the most significant challenges digital marketers face today is ensuring that their intended audience notices their message. With dozens of emails being sent daily, consumers now have an easier time ignoring digital marketing.
Direct mail is far more challenging to disregard. According to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), direct mail is opened at a rate of up to 90 percent, while emails are opened at around 20 percent–30 percent. Direct mail is a marketing approach worth considering based on these open rates alone.
However, the value of self-mailers does not end there. Direct mail is frequently opened, but many consumers also read it. The majority sees direct correspondence of the individuals marketers send it to, and it has a higher probability of being read—or at the very least scanned—than email alone.
Enhance brand recall and memorability
It is insufficient to get the message seen. Additionally, marketers need clients to remember them and return to make a transaction. Self-mailers are inherently more memorable than digital marketing, such as emails with a greater open rate. According to Marketing Profs research, three-quarters of consumers can recall a brand after getting direct mail. Only 44% of customers can do the same after viewing a digital advertisement.
Businesses may further increase brand memory by developing print pieces that stand out from the crowd. Attractive patterns, vibrant colors, intriguing die cuts, and unusual postal sizes contribute to customers engaging with the marketing piece. While standard letters and postcards may be scanned, unique self-mailers such as this one entice consumers to dive in and discover more. When direct mail is visually and tactilely distinctive, clients are more likely to remember who sent it.
Create enticing and satisfying experiences
The best effective advertising does more than convey a message; it generates a good client experience. Few people relish the prospect of sitting down and sorting through their emails. Customers, on the other hand, appreciate receiving mail.
76 percent of people enjoy receiving direct mail, according to Paper and Packaging. Additionally, they concur that direct mail is an excellent source of information and ideas. Further, printing through the mail is appreciated across the board. Around 79 percent of respondents consider reading a printed magazine a pleasurable experience.
When a brand's self-mailer reaches eagerly anticipating mail, marketers contribute to a positive overall experience. If their direct mail piece is unusual or fascinating, provides deals or offers, or is highly targeted to the customer's interests, the likelihood that they will read and retain the piece increases even more.
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