Why Direct Mail Still Works | Lead Concepts

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Why Direct Mail Still Works

An image of a senior reading a direct mail piece.

As technology progresses, companies constantly try to find new ways to grow their sales through clientele. However, it has been shown that the tried-and-true method of brand communication, direct mail, remains the most effective. Even new, modern companies that target young audiences are utilizing direct mail to reach their audience more personally, and the results are higher sales and more brand awareness.

The Benefits

1. U.S. Consumers Prefer Direct Mail

In a 2012 Epsilon channel preference study, 73% of U.S. consumers preferred direct mail for brand communication. The overwhelming sentiment was that customers felt more at ease as they could read the information conveniently. Customers feel more relaxed with a less in-your-face approach in a world of obnoxious internet pop-up ads.

2. Direct Mail Has a Much Longer Lifespan

An exciting piece of mail could be the topic of conversation in a household for weeks, while an email or social media ad can be opened and ignored, deleted, or scrolled past in a few seconds. According to RetailWire, the average lifespan of a direct mail advertisement is 17 days, while the lifetime of an email advertisement is a few seconds.

3. Direct Mail Allows For More Creativity and Personalization

Direct mail campaigns offer a blank canvas. Various fonts, colors, styles, and paper textures can make a particular brand stand out. Experts estimate that U.S. adults see between 4,000 and 10,000 online ads daily.

While brands may use enticing graphic design tactics in online ads, the effects are dulled due to the large volume of ads a person sees daily, making it difficult for brands to stand out. However, a person may receive around 5-10 pieces of mail daily, allowing much more room for creative direction that will attract attention easily.

4. Direct Mail Generates High Response Rates

Studies have shown that direct mail marketing results in higher response rates than other marketing strategies. According to data from the Direct Marketing Association, the average response rate for direct mail was 4.4%, while email advertisements yielded only a .12% response rate.

How to Make Direct Mail Work for You

5. Establish Importance

For your direct mail piece to stand out, it is crucial to grab a future customer’s attention with a call-to-action or catchphrase. It is also crucial to include your company or sales team’s contact information, a URL, or a place for the customer to fill out their information and return the mail so the customer can easily access your sales funnel.

6. Keep Track Of What Is Working

Certain aspects of direct mail campaigns may influence your customer’s feelings about your business. For example, Lead Concepts has found that asking your client base to include their address could prevent them from contacting you. If you are not getting desirable results out of your direct mail campaign, you may also consider changing aspects like what time of year you send your mailers or who you send them to.

However, tracking your lead analytics is challenging, and you may want to enlist help from a company such as Lead Concepts to monitor your target audience’s reactions and suggest changes.

7. Choose Your Demographics Wisely

It is essential to consider certain factors when choosing who to send your mail advertisements to. Qualities like age, income level, marital status, and gender can affect the response rate. For example, if a luxury makeup brand sent an advertisement to an area inhabited by young, low-income, single males, their response rate might be lower than they hoped for. The same rules apply to insurance agencies. A company interested in DSNP leads may target a middle- or lower-income area rather than a wealthy one.

8. Timing Is Everything

Businesses often go through an annually busy quarter, during which customers are most interested in their products. The goal of any business venture is for profits to exceed costs. Therefore, it is crucial to maximize your mail expenditure by targeting potentially interested customers during your busiest season.

For example, a company that sells pool floats most likely would not focus on advertising during the wintertime. Similarly, a company that sells Medicare insurance may begin direct mail marketing during the open enrollment period.

It is also essential to consider the time it will take for your direct mail pieces to reach your customers. Lead Concepts estimates the days between sending direct mail ads and receiving leads is 21 days. Therefore, if you aim to receive leads by June 1, you should begin ordering direct mail pieces by late April.

 

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