If you want to target the right demographic, grab your target audience, and connect with them on a personal level, direct mail is a surprisingly powerful marketing tactic today.
Dollar for dollar, digital and social channels lack a very specific power that direct mail has. With many businesses relying heavily on websites and social media to reach their target audience – which often gets ignored in the noise and promotional clutter – direct mail is an increasingly effective tactic that helps businesses rise above the rest.
Direct mail is a silver bullet for any serious marketer going into 2020. Whatever approach you choose to give yourself that competitive edge, it will come from acting different and breaking away from the crowd.
The modern advantages of direct mail are indisputable:
Compared to email, paid search, online displays, and social media, direct mail has a response rate that is 91.18% higher. This trend was first noted in 2003, and the results have maintained going into 2020. (Source: Direct Marketing Association, DMA and Association of National Advertisers, ANA).
In a similar report, it was revealed that direct mail received a 4.4% response rate, compared to 0.12% for email. (Source: Bizo and Epsilon).
95% of 18-to-29-year-olds have a favorable response to receiving direct mail. (Source: Gallup).
70% of Americans say direct mail is more personal than digital forms of advertisement. (Source: Direct Marketing Association, DMA).
36% of consumers under 30 look forward to checking their mailboxes every day. (Source: Gallup).
39% of consumers are more likely to try a business for the first time due to direct mail they've received in the form of an advertisement. (Source: Direct Marketing Association, DMA).
As of 2019, the response rate for direct mail for millennials (who are bombarded by digital noise and social media advertisements) is 12.4%. (Source: Direct Marketing Association, DMA).
Based on return on investment figures, for every $167 spent on direct mail, businesses can expect to make over $2000 in their goods or services. (Source: Print is Big)
84% of millennials take the time to look through their mail. (Source: U.S. Postal Service).
77% of millennials pay attention to direct mail advertising. (Source: U.S. Postal Service).
90% of millennials think direct mail advertising is reliable. (Source: U.S. Postal Service).
57% have made purchases based on direct mail offers. (Source: U.S. Postal Service).
Unlike paid marketing and digital advertising methods like AdWords, Display Ads, SEO, and Social Media Marketing which requires a higher initial investment, direct mail is affordable, especially for small business owners.
Nearly 50% of consumers would rather have direct mail over email. Letter recipients are more likely to give their undivided attention to a mailer versus a digital ad or email containing links to click. (Source: Epsilon).
Over 60% of letter recipients are influenced to visit websites promoted in their direct mail marketing materials. (Source: U.S. Postal Service).
As opposed to emails, which are often ignored, on average, 75% of consumers recently polled said they were most apt to open their mail, even if it was labeled "junk." (Source: Direct Marketing Association, DMA and Association of National Advertisers, ANA).
23% of direct mail recipients are estimated to visit the store location of the business that was responsible for sending them mail. (Source: U.S. Postal Service).
60% of direct mail recipients claim there's a more lasting mental impression made upon them by receiving and handling a tangible object like a letter. (Source: UK Royal Mail).
In a recent study conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, people who were exposed to direct mail experienced greater valuation and desirability for the items advertised compared to digital ads that advertised similar services or products.
For attorneys interested in direct mail for their law firm, we typically see that if an attorney spends $2000 in direct mail marketing, they can easily expect to make more than double that in revenue.
The bottom line is this: direct mail offers a more tangible, engaging experience for the customer. The opportunities that direct mail provides marketers and business owners are easy to see.
How to Make the Most Out of a Targeted Direct Mail Campaign
At the end of the day, people check their mailboxes. Even millennials, who are inclined to check their email inboxes or social media accounts more often, will still pay extra attention when they receive a personalized piece of mail that has been hand-delivered and addressed exclusively to them.
There’s an opportunity to cut through the noise and grab the right attention, and, thanks to this increasingly digital age, that opportunity is greater than ever to stand out with a strategic and targeted direct mail campaign.
At Key Dynamics, we know how to generate business. Want to know how we can help you become more successful by getting your message out in front of the right people? Let's talk.