Is Direct Mail Dead? Reasons to consider direct mail in your

In the digital era, direct mail may seem ‘old-school’. After all, with a multitude of choices to reach customers across online channels, why would it make sense to advertise elsewhere? Maybe the overreliance on digital is the reason! With such a plethora of options, people’s attention span can become scattered across various social media platforms which are flooded with impersonal and mainstream marketing techniques. Direct mail, on the other hand, captures the consumer’s attention by triggering personalised and relevant marketing which respects your consumer’s personal space and utilises a channel that will get your brand noticed and remembered. Nothing beats the physical appeal of direct mail.

Here are some other reasons to consider when determining if direct mail could work for you.

Want Direct Responses?

According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), direct mail achieves a 4.4% response rate in comparison to 0.12% for email, being 10 to 30 times higher than that of digital*. It is generally considered that consumers now have digital fatigue and oversaturated inboxes cluttered with marketing emails means that they are much more accepting of less intrusive channels such as direct mail.

The The Five Senses

Direct mail has a quality which email cannot obtain. It is tangible, triggering your senses as you get the mail, open it, read it. It is an overall sensory experience whereas email is just a click away from being deleted or falling into your spam.

According to a study by UK Royal Mail, The Private Life of Mail, “Giving, receiving and handling tangible objects remain deep and intuitive parts of the human experience.”*

Direct mail leaves an emotional impact, making it more likely for your brand to be remembered and improving your customer relationship.

What About Millennials?

Some might think the younger generations are glued to their iPhone and Android screens and therefore not relevant for postal marketing targeting. This same audience typically associates DM to a mature demographic. This, however, is far from the truth.

The emotional appeal resonated with DM is applicable to Millennials as well. As stated by Gallup, not only do 36% of people under 30 claim to look forward to reading their mail but 95% of 18 to 29-year-olds have a positive reaction to personalised mail*.

Final Thoughts

Don’t discard the option and opportunities that direct mail can provide to your marketing mix. Although letters may seem like a blast from the past, with the digital exposure flood and the impersonal content served up, we still look forward to receiving a tangible and personalised letter to make us feel special. And as a result, as a brand, you will have an increased chance of being remembered, achieving incremental uplift and conversions as a result.