TOP FIVE REASONS NOT TO GIVE UP ON DIRECT MAIL
Direct Mail is Giving Email Marketing a Run for its Money
We’ve all heard that print is dead. But it isn’t — and we urge our clients to retain direct mail as a vital part of their marketing mix. Although email marketing is a cost-effective means of maximizing your marketing reach, the truth is, your emails may not make it past various spam filters. In fact, according to a study done by ReturnPath, only around 79% of permission-based messages sent by genuine marketers are actually delivered to inboxes.
Here are five reasons you should include direct mail as part of your marketing mix:
- Free creative reign — Direct mail can be produced in all shapes and sizes, affording you the ability to unleash your creativity. Old, junk mail marketing no longer has a place at the table–and we mean that literally. Whether it’s an augmented mailer, a foldable piece, a jig-saw puzzle, a box within a box or a clever gift…you’re not constrained to a set email platform. Rather, you have the opportunity to put a gorgeous, eye-catching, show-stopper on your customers’ desks, kitchen counters, side tables – wherever they collect their mail.
- Targeted Mailings Cut through the Clutter – While it’s super-easy to hit the delete button on an email, it’s not so easy for customers to discard a piece of mail that looks tailor-made for them. Spend time on the development of buyer personas, so your headlines and calls-to-action target the content of your mailings to different customer segments. It’s a good idea to ditch the practice of purchased lists, mass mailings, and weak calls-to-action, and capitalize instead on the newer technologies that allow you to more narrowly segment your audience. The combination of hyper-targeted messages in a visually pleasing format has been shown to yield handsome results.
- Disruption – Ah… the concept of disruption that we keep hearing so much about. It’s all about catching your audience’s attention, and using creativity to awaken their senses and make them curious enough to take things a step further — to drive them to action. We suggest keeping your call-to-action bold, simple and clear. Consider using bright colors, limited copy and unique artwork to help your mail stand out and boost your brand’s power.
- Time-Saver – Trying to create accurate mailing lists can feel like falling down a rabbit-hole. With direct mail, you can use a reputable mailing house to quickly address and deliver your masterpieces, and do away with the incredibly time-consuming and thankless task of trying to create the perfect email list — only to have countless messages bounce back as “undeliverable.”
- Staying Power – Your direct mail masterpieces have staying power in that they tend to literally stay around for a period of time – oftentimes shuffling from the office or home front desk to the meeting room or kitchen table — multiplying their chance of being seen by multiple people over a longer time period. Emails, on the other hand, tend to be shoved further down inboxes or immediately deleted.
In today’s highly-digitized world there is a clear place for a partnership between direct mail and email marketing. Companies need to strategically and thoughtfully assess their goals — and choose a variety of vehicles to create the mix that will help boost their brands’ visibility and profitability. To learn more about incorporating direct mail into your current marketing plan, feel free to contact Turchette at 973-227-8080 for a free consultation.
