It has become an age-old debate: direct mail versus email marketing and advertising.
Defenders of digital media will say why drain your marketing funds on direct mail initiatives that nobody reads when you can contact your buyers using the channels they prefer– tv, social media, and smartphone?
That being said, the most recent data makes a solid case for printed direct mail. Sure, social media and smartphone marketing are on the rise. But that doesn’t mean that clients aren’t responding to direct mail or that this channel is losing its efficiency. That’s just plain misleading.
The truth is, direct mail continues to be a critical part of the blend. So the next occasion someone tries to inform you direct mail is dead, don’t forget:
1. Direct mail doesn’t require opt-in
Unlike email and text messaging, you don’t have to get a recipient’s consent to send them direct mail. This means, even if a consumer doesn’t subscribe or unsubscribes from your email list, you can still get in touch with them. (Which is why it’s always a good idea to get physical addresses from those on your email lists!)
2. Direct mail never stays in a junk mail filter.
” Yes, your message may be chosen by someone else,” notes Roger Buck, former director of marketing and product development at The Flesh Company. “But the chances are small – and direct mail never has a virus.”.
3. Direct mail stays effective longer than you think.
Direct mail is a bit like a note on the fridge door. “We sometimes hear from customers that our mail stays on their desk for weeks,” says Andre Palko, president of Technifold USA. “They may not immediately take action, but our brand name persists until they are ready to get in touch with us. An e-mail does not last as well – and is far less impressive. ”
4. It’s still successful when the intended receiver has moved on.
” If you send an email to someone who’s no longer at a particular company, it bounces. If you send a postcard, the new person in that job sees it– and you’ve just presented yourself as a supplier,” says Palko
5. With direct mail you do not have to fight to get attention.
E-mail is effective, but also overwhelming. In 2014, The Radicati Group concluded that the average business customer sends or receives 121 emails per day. In 2018 there are probably 141 in all likelihood.
Larry Bradley, owner of Proforma Sunbelt Graphics, writes: “The overwhelming deluge of e-mail in the office is a solid hurdle for e-mail marketers. It is difficult to distinguish the mess from the real mails, so that a large part of business e-mails is not read at all. By contrast, companies receive much less marketing by mail than ten years ago – a unique advantage for direct mail. ”
6. A number of promotions just won’t get footing by email.
There’s a good reason businesses are more likely to get lending offers in the mail than they are by email. B2B decision-makers trust direct mail more than email, particularly for high value products and services. Mailers can also incorporate a wide variety of trust-building material not possible (or reasonable) to include in email. Yes, you can supply links. But with direct mail, you get that content in front of them in a solid way right out of the gate.
7. Direct mail can connect with high-level decision-makers.
Certainly there are only so many things you can do to make email look more important. But beyond writing an engaging subject line, most of them look hokey. Direct mail offers alternatives like kits, dimensional mail, and unique packaging options that, by their nature, get past the gatekeepers. (Palko has used everything from metallic envelopes, lunch bags, packing list pouches and prescription bottles to mail letters. “They are not only fun, but they get opened!” he says.) While these mailings may have higher price tags, they can also get near 100% open rates. When you’re trying to reach the C-Suite, that’s worth a lot.
8. Direct mail drives social media and online marketing.
Many people feel you don’t need direct mail when you have social media and mobile marketing. What they’re ignoring is how social media and smartphone marketing connections get captured in the first place. Very often, it’s through printing. Saying that you only need social and mobile is akin to saying that when you buy a house you only need the upper stories and not the foundation. Without print, getting social and mobile engagements is much more difficult.
Don’t let digital marketers get away with swiping your customers based on false contrasts. Open the discussion about the benefits of direct mail versus email– and when to use each. Be aggressive and let direct mail present what you can do.