Direct mail is better than email

Everyone is always talking about the importance of digital communication, but there’s nothing like getting a letter or postcard in the mail. As reported by Eleventy Marketing Group, the 2015 Digital Marketing Association (DMA) Statistical Fact Book states that a household receives an average number of 19.1 direct mail pieces per week. A majority of the time, those items will consist of bills and junk mail, but occasionally a letter from a loved one or a favorite business will sneak into the pile. When this happens, recipients are more than happy to sit down and read over the information they have been sent. This is one reason why direct mail marketing has recently regained popularity, among others.

Why people prefer physical mailings
People like the personal touch these items can convey. For instance, companies often have postcards and fliers personalized with a recipient’s name. Another tactic businesses utilize is sending birthday and holiday cards in the mail. These friendly greetings make customers feel appreciated. Granted, this ploy can also be done via email but the messages tend to get buried under hundreds of other electronic mailings.

Further, it’s nice to be able to physically hold onto information about a cause or business in your hand. Looking up information online is easy, but then you end up writing contact information and other details down on a piece of paper anyway. When a person receives a postcard or letter with this material already intact, it requires less work on the consumer’s end.

Why businesses favor direct mail
Companies have way more reasons to enjoy the use of direct mail marketing. First, sending a flier to consumers through the mails meets way less competition upon arrival. As mentioned before, people only receive around 19 pieces of mail each week. This is nothing compared to the vast amount of emails arriving in inboxes each day. It’s also easy to catch people’s attention with this outlet because there are so many mailing options available for business use. For example, a company could send a letter, postcard or even a small catalog. Utilizing these diverse options keep customers interested in the material.

Another reason why this marketing method is useful for businesses is because postcards have a better open rate than email. When people are swamped by the number of items in the inbox, they’re naturally going to quickly delete anything that is not a priority so they can focus on vital information. When people receive something in their mailbox, however, there’s a higher chance the piece will get scanned or potentially placed on the counter for future consideration.

An additional benefit of physical mailings is that they usually lead back to online interaction. According to a report by the DMA, 44 percent of people will visit a brand’s website after receiving direct mail and 34 percent will complete an online search. Companies make this easier for consumers to accomplish by providing them with the information they need, like URLs and Twitter handles, to easily look up details online.