Business success is not always about the latest faddish trend. Sometimes, it is the tried and true that remains most viable. In marketing, direct mail’s continued success is a perfect example.
Direct mail marketing refers to marketing material sent via the conventional, physical postal service system — ‘snail mail,’ as it is sometimes jokingly referred to. The digital internet equivalent is email marketing. But as the following five reasons prove, direct mail is still of tremendous value today, even as digital adoption continues to explode.
It’s Not Just On a Screen
No matter how many technological advances are made, cyberspace still feels unreal. Marketing material on a computer or phone screen will never have the physical ‘realness’ of something that can be touched. Tangible, solid objects still attract attention in a way that digital material cannot. It’s much easier to ignore an email or an online ad than a piece of mail. Dismissing something you receive and can hold in your hands doesn’t happen easily. Email marketing can still be a good way to maintain contact with anyone who is already a customer but is not as good at forging new connections as direct mail.
It’s More Likely To Reach Customers
The issue with internet marketing isn’t just that it’s easier to dismiss marketing content that’s in digital form. It’s also that a lot of digital marketing never even reaches the customer in the first place. Spam blockers can screen out even the most perfectly crafted marketing email before it reaches an inbox. ISPs may entirely block emails arriving from certain IPs if recipients complain. Email delivery rate (a term for the rate at which emails make it into inboxes) is generally far under 50%. That’s a huge contrast with direct mail, which reaches the addressee almost every time.
Not Everyone Is Constantly Online
At this point, the number of people who have never used the internet is vanishingly small, but a considerable population still doesn’t use digital devices much. For every person who spends 12 hours a day staring at a screen, others spend their time differently. Older adults are particularly likely to be largely offline, but individuals of all demographics are represented in this group. Getting in touch with these people via digital marketing is difficult to impossible.
There’s Less Competition
People receive much less mail today than they did a few decades ago. Direct mail marketing itself has declined in volume as well.
But these facts represent a great opportunity. Since direct mail marketing is less common, there’s less competition for eyeballs. Online, customers are deluged in marketing material from all sides, whether from banner ads, emails, or video ads. They are often sick of digital marketing and certainly are inured to its impact. But in their mailbox, marketing material is sparse. Thus, a business’ direct mail marketing efforts will stand out significantly.
It’s Another Marketing Tactic
Using direct mail marketing doesn’t prevent using digital marketing, of course. For most businesses, it’s not a matter of replacing digital marketing methods but of supplementing them—generally, the more marketing routes to contacting potential customers, the better.
Direct mail marketing opens up another avenue. People who might otherwise never be contacted can be reached. Business success often depends on taking advantage of every opportunity available. Direct mail marketing is an example of that.
Indeed, direct mail marketing may not be right for every business. However, it should be something more people running marketing campaigns should consider. The online world has not completely replaced the pre-digital business environment. Direct mail marketing is not merely a relic of the past. Many businesses should give direct mail marketing a try.
Learn More About Direct Mail Marketing
Are you interested in promoting your business or cause via direct mail? The Printed Image is a leading provider of promotional printing and direct mail marketing campaigns to customers nationwide. Contact us today to learn more!