10 Reasons To Utilize Direct Mail
Let’s be honest, we’ve all heard the rumors that mail is a dead medium and is no longer effective. That couldn’t be further from the truth! Living in Pandemic times has only added to the importance of print. Working from home, surrounded by screens and neon lights, it’s refreshing to walk out to the mailbox and actually hold something tangible.
Life has changed dramatically in the past ten years. We spend most of our time behind screens, getting hammered by digital influences left and right. Remember when you got excited about getting an email? Me too! I remember walking to the mailbox and being flooded with advertisements, pamphlets, and coupons. Now, those come in the form of email, many of which get lost in the hundreds of emails the average American receives a day. It's time to stand out. It's time to use color to your advantage. It's time to print! Don’t believe me? Trust the numbers!
10 Stats On Direct Mail
1. On average, Americans receive 605 emails and 16.8 pieces of mail every week
That’s a huge difference! Americans are getting hammered left and right with messages in every form. Odds are, you’re going to delete that email without even glancing at the content. But you always open your mail. As the years go on, the number of emails you receive increases while mail decreases. This provides the perfect opportunity for companies to penetrate a forgotten medium that carries huge implications.
2. Up to 90% of direct mail gets opened, compared to only 20-30% of emails
Email marketing is hard. If you’re lucky enough to have a good send list, then odds are you’ll still get well below a 30% open rate. But, with mail, nearly every piece that you send will get opened and looked at! Use the fact that mail is being underutilized to your advantage. In marketing, it’s sometimes good to go where nobody else is- you stand out more!
3. 39% of marketing respondents reported an increase in website traffic
Direct mail isn’t just for physical businesses- it increases web traffic dramatically! With more clients entering your website, the likelihood of sales increases as well. Next time you run a mail campaign, be sure to have your website looking clean and up to date to drive sales further.
4. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 69% say they prefer print and paper communications to reading off a screen
Many would think that the generation who grew up with modern technology at their fingertips would enjoy digital forms of communication. Yet, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The majority of this demographic enjoys print because they are so sick and tired of reading from a screen. It’s nice to get hit with a physical message every now and then- it makes you feel connected.
5. 70% of Americans say that mail is more personal than the internet
Mail is personal because it’s real. Just as it’s more difficult to connect with a person over the phone, it’s more difficult to connect with a brand over the internet. When you go physical you go personal. Many times, the disconnect customers feel between a brand and themselves is the fact that the brand has never been present in their life beyond a screen.
6. Cost-per-acquisition for direct mail is very competitive. Direct mail stands at $19, which fares favorably with mobile and social (both at $16-18), paid search ($21-30), internet display ($41-50), and even email ($11-15)
Mail is very comparable in price when considered at the actual cost-per-acquisition. Many digital media companies, such as Facebook, give the impression that with a $5 spend, returns will be massive. Digital media companies do this by presenting clients with the total number of impressions or views as opposed to actual conversions. Impressions are a great measure but do not directly result in spending, thus largely inflating results for business owners. Print, in reality, results in a directly comparable rate of conversions, while maximizing quality impressions unlike many of those found on social media.
7. Direct mail response rates still top those of other mediums; the average direct mail response rate is 1.1-1.4% compared to .03% for email, .04% for internet display, and .22% for paid search
The statistics prove that, although more expensive, conversion rates on mail are massive in comparison to other forms of advertising. Some 46x more responsive than email, direct mail continues to be essential to the success of growing businesses, big or small.
8. 39% of consumers try a business for the first time because of direct mail.
New in town? Think mail. Simply, people agree that they are significantly more likely to try a new business because of mail. If you’ve advertised before, think about how many people you reached out to. You normally have to pick a medium whether that be Facebook, Google Ads, YouTube, etc, all of which limit your audience more and more. Mail targets every demographic in every part of the country. Mail is vast, mail is local, and mail is built for growth.
9. 42% of recipients read or scan the direct mail they receive
When you scroll down social media, it's common to blow right past the ad on your screen. Sure, this counts as a view, but was it quality? If 42% of people read the ads they saw on social media, the payoff would be huge. Yet, that’s simply not how consumers react! Mail has a lasting, quality, impression.
10. Direct mail has a median ROI of 29%
Do it right, and you will profit! A high ROI is a marketer’s dream. Luckily for many businesses, mail pays off thanks to its wide reach, quality connection, and lasting influence.
No matter what business you are in, mail is proven to work for you. As one of the oldest mediums in the world, print is backed by data that encourages growth and ROI to all businesses. Although it may be somewhat scary to reach into a new market while using a new form of advertising, rest assured that data has your back.
It’s true, mail works! We want to get mail working in your favor today! To get your free design and sample mail prints, give us a call at (615) 244-9200. Or, click here to receive an email from us with more information, including how to get your mail campaign started today.
Sources Of Information
https://extendyourreach.com/18-direct-mail-stats-every-marketer-know/
https://www.compu-mail.com/statistics/25-direct-marketing-statistics-for-2020