Is Direct Mail Really Dead?
Is Direct Mail Dead?
Direct mail is usually tagged ´Junk mail’ as it is usually uninvited.
Geared towards marketing most common types of direct mail include:
- Letters
- Brochures
- Newsletters
- Catalogues
- Postcards
One of the key things about having an efficient direct mail campaign is – the audience. Who are you targeting? Who is on your list? If the audience is one that is not particularly interested in your product you are bound to waste funds on this form of marketing and yield no ROI.
Unlike mainstream advertising that talks to everyone in the hope that the target audience will see the message. Direct mail is more targeted as they speak to buyers who are most likely to purchase that service or product.
The important thing is the list.
According to Direct Marketing Association (DMA) response rate report, it has been found that direct mail has achieved a 4.4 response rate, compared to 0.12 for email.
It posits that since consumers are currently swamped with uninvited marketing emails, they readily accept direct mail which arrives through an orderly channel.
There is also a study by UK Royal Mail, The Private Mail, that the upswing in the use of direct mail is because of the fact that giving, receiving and handling tangible objects remain a deep and intuitive part of the human experience. In the study, a little over 50% said its effect made a more lasting impression on them making it easier to recall later. Another above half the population size said postcard marketing made them feel more valued and creates a closer genuine relationship.
On the other, a report by Accenture has stated that a significant percentage of young adults like mail and close to half of the people people population under age 30 look forward to checking their mail each day. Another stat is that 95% of young adults have a positive response to receiving direct mail formats. In particular, this generation will wield a total spending power of $1.4 trillion by 2020.
In the age of more widely used inbound marketing as opposed to outbound marketing which direct mail falls under. Companies would rather push out relevant information and let people who need their service reach out them. Not to say, direct mail is not a great marketing tactic but it is better off as an add-on to other marketing activities and not a stand-alone initiative.
