You've Got Mail!

In this age of digital-first marketing, some companies feel that direct mail is no longer a cost-effective marketing effort. They believe digital is the only place to be. You may think this as well, but I have to say it is simply not the case. Other physical marketing channels, such as direct mail, are still capable of producing great results.

Despite what the critics of direct mail say, people like getting mail. They enjoy opening the mail, feeling the mail and the personalized touch of mail. Direct mail is an active marketing channel – people have to do something with it, they can’t just ignore it in their inbox like an email. Sure, some people may choose to rip it up and throw it away, but chances are they checked first to make sure it wasn’t an important communication, such as a bill.

Even Millennials, a group marketers believe to be digitally focused, take time to look at their mail. According to an article from the Data and Marketing Association, 84 percent of Millennials take time to look through their mail and 64 percent would rather scan through their mail than their email. Now, I wouldn’t recommend a mail-only strategy with this group, but the statistics are enticing to at least test a direct mail campaign in this segment.

Mail campaigns also have a leg up on email campaigns due to a recent increase in fraud attempts via phishing emails. Email recipients are more cautious than ever before clicking links or opening attachments. The same does not ring true with physical mail. Mail is a more trusted resource when it comes to marketing campaigns – most fraudsters would not spend the money to mass mail via the postal service.

To ensure your direct mail is getting the best results, make sure you are being creative, drawing emotion and targeting correctly. Creative and emotional mail pieces are attention-getting. Get your best ROI by targeting your list appropriately. If you need any assistance with a mail strategy in 2019, contact us at B2E – we’d love to help!