We here at Loopify believe in mail of all kinds. The electronic kind, but also in the kind that the mailman delivers to your house. Direct mail might be a traditional channel, but it can still do wonders for your business.
So, is it really worth it to invest in direct mail as a marketing channel?
If you are skeptical about the potential of snail mail, let’s show you why you should add it to your marketing mix.
7 Reasons Why You Should Use Direct Mail
1. Direct mail cuts through the noise
Direct mail is still a valuable marketing channel.
But, you’ll hear people say that direct mail is outdated and ineffective. Is this true, though?
We’re just going to leave the stats here from a study that took the neuroscientific approach and compared the effectiveness of direct mail vs. digital media. And you can see it for yourself.
- Direct mail is 21% easier to understand and more memorable than digital media. When people were asked to cite the brand of an advertisement they had just seen, their recall was 70% higher if they were exposed to a direct mail piece.
- Direct mail is 20% more motivating than digital media. Humans are sensory beings, so the brain is more likely to remember something that people can touch, see, hear – which means that this increases the motivation to make a decision.
- Direct mail is better at building your brand because it’s visually processed faster than digital media.
- Direct mail is much more likely to drive future behavior. Because people are more motivated, they are more likely to take action.
“Digital requires more brainpower than direct mail. This is a critical point because consumers always prefer the path of least resistance, and direct mail offers exactly that.”
Diana Lucaci
Neuroscience, can’t argue with that.
2. Direct mail can be personalized
When we talk about direct mail, we don’t mean designing one postcard, printing in x number of copies, and sending it to everyone.
Nope, we are talking about snail mail that is personalized, segmented, and targeted to the right people. Same as your emails or text messages. I don’t need a 20% off cat food sent to my door if I own a dog. That’s just wasted paper and opportunity.
3. You can automate the entire process
Use automation software and its tools, like Loopify, to work on one document and create hundreds of personalized PDF copies that are all ready to be printed and shipped.
And since you’ll know the approximate time it takes for printing and delivery, you can schedule send-outs and surprise customers at the perfect time.
4. Direct mail pairs well with the digital world
Mixing both online and offline channels is a great way to engage customers outside the digital world. You’ll also get a new way to communicate with customers that prefer tangible mail.
Adding a scannable code, short link to an exclusive promo offer, contact email, or a hashtag for a Twitter discussion, makes it easier for people to continue engaging with your brand and participate in the conversation.
Combining direct mail with digital channels resulted in 68% increased website visits, 63% increased response rate, 60% increased ROI, 53% increased leads, 39% increased traffic to a physical location or a store, and 11% increased downloads.
USPS research
5. You can track the results from your campaigns
Yes, you can know if a lead or customer came from a specific direct mail campaign. How?
Remember, we mentioned that direct mail goes with digital. Well, by using unique links, landing pages, phone numbers, scannable codes, Twitter hashtags, you can track from which direct mail campaign do your leads come from. The crucial word here is unique.
For example, if someone types in a link that isn’t unique, this will be seen as direct website traffic, not as a lead who typed in a link after receiving your mail. Since the link is created for a specific print campaign, you can track engagement, interaction, conversion, and more. Neat, right?
Tip: You can create unique links by adding UTM tracking codes. You can also create landing pages designed for a specific print campaign. And, you’ll know that all visits to that landing page come from that specific campaign.
6. There isn’t much competition
Businesses are shifting or favoring digital media to promote their brand and product. This is a great reason to use direct mail marketing because it will be easier for you to stand out.
People don’t throw away mail before they at least scan it, so this is your chance to grab their attention with something fun. Even if they don’t use your promo coupon right away, they’ll keep it just in case. And the next time they need a new pair of sneakers or car service, they are more likely to think of you.
7. Your creativity can shine through
When it comes to direct mail like letters, postcards, brochures, or any other printable design, you can get as creative as you want. Amazing print campaigns get kickass results.
Here are some examples of brands getting creative with print campaigns:
Windshield repair services, Mercedez-Benz
A simple yet effective Mercedes-Benz print campaign that is promoting their windshield repair services. All you need to do is open it and pull out the damaged windshield.
Image via Automotive Advertising Blog
Kit Kat Chunky, Nestlé
Kit Kat’s funny and personalized way to promote their chunky chocolate bar by replicating a card a postman leaves behind when they are unable to deliver your parcel. Plus, there’s free chocolate involved.
Image via Ad Forum
Happy holidays, Hyundai
Hyundai holiday postcard can be cut into pieces and reused as gift tags for friends and family just in time for the winter holidays. Sustainable and thoughtful.
Image via Automotive Advertising Blog
To sum up, the future of direct mail is bright.
Don’t get us wrong. We’re not here to knock digital channels. Social media, email marketing, video, and so many others are awesome, and they do magic (when used in the right way).
But if you want to spice up your marketing strategy and add another way to engage with leads and customers, give the good, old, direct mail a try.