When was the last time you opened your mailbox?

And no, we’re not talking about your emails. We mean your actual, physical mailbox – have you taken some time lately to check your mail? 

Even if you don’t expect to receive any letters, it’s always a good idea to regularly clear out your mailbox. Not only does important mail such as government correspondence tend to default to a paper format, but there will often be a fair number of postcards and pamphlets as well. 

Some of these colorful extras might not interest you in the least as you sift through them – but the fact that you are sifting through them, looking at them, is what savvy marketers are counting on.

Direct Mail May Be Old-fashioned, but It’s Not Obsolete 

Direct mail refers to any marketing that is produced and directly sent to customers via post. As mail and advertisement alike, it will usually take the form of things like engaging letters, eye-catching flyers, informative brochures, or even small incentives such as a limited time offers and discounted coupons. 

In this digital age of video ads and email promotions, direct mail may seem questionable, if not ineffective in terms of cost and timeliness. Why spend so much effort to create physical adverts that need to be delivered by hand?  

And yet, according to a study in 2017, direct mail maintains a median ROI (Return on Investment) rate of 29% and a response rate of 5.3% for house addresses and 2.9% for prospect lists. Compared to less costly and less time-consuming alternatives such as social media and paid search, which have median ROIs of 30% and 23% respectively, direct mail does not seem so lackluster. 

In fact, when it comes to email marketing, which has an average click-through rate of 2-3% and a response rate of 0.6%, direct mail outshines emails in performance. 

This is a clear indicator that direct mail is still holding its own against more modern avenues – if not surpassing them, due to direct mail possessing many advantages over digital marketing:

Direct Mail is Tangible

Everyone enjoys indulging in their five senses while shopping. To be able to see, touch, hear, or smell something makes the shopping experience more memorable. The same principle applies to direct mail.

As a physical advertisement, customers will always have to engage with it through touch. In addition to being mixed in with other mail, some potentially important, these same customers will have to look at it to further evaluate whether the mail piece has any value to them at all.

Even if this amounts to nothing more than a brief scan of the text and images – it is nonetheless a great deal of engagement. Experts estimate people see between 4,000 and 10,000 ads per day online. We are drowning in advertisements. Such regular exposure desensitizes us to ads and causes us to fine-tune our priorities to accommodate our personally limited time and energy.

Direct Mail is Personalized 

Think of the last time you received a truly thoughtful gift or correspondence. Whether it was a thoughtful letter, scented candle, or a homemade scarf, there is always something precious about receiving something that is specifically for you.

Direct mail, in that regard, is more appealing for the fact that it is an advert being sent directly to us, into our own hands. This is compounded by the intimate quality of physical mail, born from traditional ideals of penning letters to someone faraway, someone dear enough to wait eons for a response.

Such ideals are becoming increasingly scarce and therefore, noticeable as we move away from handwritten correspondences. As such, the idea of someone taking the time to create something to be held and read adds to the tangible quality of direct mail while also endearing us to their messaging.

Direct Mail Has Excellent Reach

While many enjoy a hyperconnected world through the internet, not everyone has Twitter or Facebook, much less an email address.

Direct mail triumphs over digital marketing for the very fact that it is rooted in reality – it can be sent to anyone so long as they have a mailbox, including more elderly customers who may disdain the concept of technology. In that way, direct mail caters to all customer demographics. No need to pick two separate avenues for advertising just because half of your customers are unlikely to be reached otherwise.

Direct mail possesses many more advantages in comparison to other methods – and its returns are not ignorable to the smart and willing marketer. Combined with digital methods, such as social media or an online campaign, the wide scope of direct mail can be harnessed to an even greater effect. We at Classic Impressions have a long track record of blending both traditional and modern styles of advertising to design the perfect marketing campaign tailored to our clients.

Call us today, and we will help you grow your business – one mailbox at a time.