In an increasingly digital age, you could suspect that printed marketing collateral no longer has a place… but you’d be mistaken. Digital ads may have a number of benefits, but so too do direct mailers.
According to a study by Postary in 2022, physical mail boasts an open rate about three to four times higher than email open rates. This same study found that direct mail response rates hover between 2.7% and 4.4%, depending on the campaign, while email response rates get as low as 0.6%. Even better, the 2024 USPS Household Mail Survey found that consumers consider responding to an average of 9% of all mail they receive.
Clearly, recipients are remembering and responding to their physical mail more than their digital email. But why is this? The reasons are deceptively simple.
1. Direct mail can’t be discarded unseen.
How many times have you received an email from a retail store and immediately deleted it, marked it as read or just ignored it entirely? Emails can be deleted without even getting opened, meaning a large portion of your mailing list won’t make it past the subject line. Even worse, some emails bypass the inbox entirely and get automatically sent to spam, ensuring the recipient never sees them.
Direct mail, however, usually has to go through the recipients’ hands before it potentially gets tossed in the recycling bin. Especially if it’s a postcard, this means they are more likely to see more of the marketing piece before they decide to keep or toss it.
2. Direct mail lasts.
Recipients can hold on to physical pieces – on the kitchen counter or stuck to the fridge – and respond to them days, weeks or even months later, especially if there’s a coupon or special deal. Not only that, but direct mail is much more tactile – and humans are much more likely to remember something they handled physically over something they only read on a screen.
Meanwhile, even outside of emails, many consumers might see hundreds of digital ads a day. No matter how eye-catching your ad is, it’s still gone the moment the consumer closes the webpage. (Of course, digital ads are still great when paired with physical collateral, since the multiple touchpoints help the consumer remember the marketing campaign.)
3. All generations respond well to direct mail (in their own ways).
Many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers actively look forward to receiving mail and would be disappointed to stop receiving it entirely. Millennials tend to trust physical mail more than digital and are more cautious of promotions sent through email. Gen Z responds best to brands with positive reviews regardless of print or digital, and though they prefer to read shorter materials, the majority are still excited to receive mail every day and are less interested in receiving deals or information via popups and texts.
Check out some of our other blogs for more detailed breakdowns on generational marketing, such as our blog about Millennials and direct mail.
4. Direct mail stands out and reaches farther.
Physical mail is highly customizable. It can have unique and beautiful designs, contain variable data for more personalization and include trackable URLs, QR codes or promo codes for better data analysis.
The mailing lists are also a crucial part of direct mail and can be fine-tuned to reach your intended recipients or broadened to hit every address within a certain area. This targeting ensures your marketing pieces reach the maximum number of ideal consumers.
From idea conception to delivery, image.works can help you craft attractive mailers and cohesive marketing campaigns that are remembered. Contact us today to learn more.
References:
https://www.ama.org/2022/10/13/direct-mail-campaigns-arent-dead-7-ways-t...
https://about.usps.com/what/performance/household-mail-survey/
https://prc.arkcase.com/api/prc-dockets/filing/downloadFile?fileId=24274...
https://www.uspsdelivers.com/2020-2021-generational-research-report/pdf/...