Direct Mail in Today's Digital World

I am always baffled when the pundits predict the death of Direct Mail.

Let’s start out with some interesting statistics:

• Since 2004, direct mail marketing response rates are UP 14%, while email marketing response rates are DOWN 57%.
• In 2010, US companies increased sales through direct marketing to the tune of $702 billion.
• Advertisers in the US spend $167 per person on direct mail, earning $2,095 worth of goods sold. That’s a 1,300% return on investment.
• Non-profits gain 78% of their donations from direct mail.

Source: PrintisBig.com

I believe these statistics represent a clean bill of health for direct mail.   There is no question that the mail volumes have decreased substantially over the past several years. This is due, in part; to the increased migration of Ad spend to the digital channels.

However, the increased ability to micro-segment has resulted in a more targeted approach.   This “mirco-targetting” equates to an overall decrease in mail volume from the days of the “Mass Mailing” approach.

While email and other forms of digital media continue to enjoy significant growth, direct mail is still a viable channel yielding positive results.

By no means, am I saying that email marketing is of no value. Quite the contrary, both channels represent a viable advertising medium. Especially when you combine the power of the two; driving exponential lifts in response / conversion rates (in some cases double). Not to mention, the benefits of increased consumer engagement.

An article in Direct Marketing News “Making Direct Mail and Email work together” outlines key strategies to ensure the effectiveness of these “One -Two Punch”, multi-channel campaigns.   Synergy between your messaging, strong call to action, effective branding strategies, frequency and relevancy are just a few of the considerations when building a multi-channel Direct / Email campaign. See www.dmnews.com/making-direct-mail-and-email-work-together/article/166004/

In the end, what companies want are innovative solutions that increase response rates. From what I see, the trend now is towards a more holistic approach to advertising, a full suite of “offline to online” solutions, so to speak, that propel your response rates through the roof!