Direct mail is a truly misunderstood marketing channel. In the digital age, some have dismissed direct marketing as “outdated” and “inefficient”… but these people are ignoring facts and statistics that have consistently proved time and time again that mail is one of the most effective marketing channels. In response to the nay-sayers, we will be debunking the 7 deadly misconceptions about direct mail!
7. Direct Mail Is Hard to Personalize
A common misconception about direct marketing campaigns is that when you send them out, your entire mailing list is getting the exact same thing; no variety, no personalization. In reality, variable data printing (VDP) allows you to use variable information like a recipient’s name, age, gender, ethnicity, occupation, income, etc to customize each piece to cater to the needs and sensibilities of the individual receiving the piece. This technological advancement has made direct marketing even more effective, as people respond best to mail that appears to have been made special, just for them. We created a brief guide to VDP that further explains how it works and how you can use it to create better, more personalized mailers.
6. Nobody Opens Their Mail
A lot of people think that the average consumer gets marketing materials in the mail and tosses them to the recycling without reading the offer. According to statistics released by DMA, direct mail actually outperforms digital marketing channels when it comes to both open rates and response rates. While promotional emails get opened around the 20% range, Postal Service surveys show that consumers open about 80-90% of their mail.
5. It’s Difficult To Track The Results
Some wonder how can you differentiate sales driven by direct mail from sales driven by digital marketing or word of mouth? Fortunately, if the right steps are taken in the planning and development stages of the campaign, there are several ways to measure the results of direct mail. By creating a unique phone number, website, or QR code for your specific campaign, you can easily see the sales it generated. We broke down the best ways to measure your campaign results and calculate your return on investment in this helpful blog post!
4. Consumers Don’t Trust Mail Marketing
Aren’t people extra wary of advertising that they receive in the mail? Actually, studies show that although consumers are becoming less and less trusting of marketing, direct mail ranks above the newer forms. This study done by Marketing Sherpa reveals that 76% of consumers answered that they trust direct mail ads when making a purchase decision. For contrast, only 43% trusted social media embedded advertising.
3. Direct Mail Campaigns Are Boring
Don’t be fooled; there is plenty of room for creativity in the mail. A postcard-sized mailer with compelling headlines, design, graphics, and copy can be enough to produce effective results, but if you want to guarantee responses, try sending a package or some kind of dimensional mail. Something as simple as including a pen inside an envelope can massively increase open rates because it creates curiosity. At Plum, we’ve proven that packages are a great way to court new leads into paying customers; check out our post about creative mail campaigns!
2. Email Is More Efficient/Effective Than Mail
Sure, email is an extremely low cost and efficient, but does it have the same effect as direct mail? Many consumers and businesses receive hundreds of emails every day. 98% of people check their mail every day while ignoring many of their emails (especially promotional emails). It is also proven that tangible, physical mail marketing has a greater emotional impact, stimulates a greater response from the brain, and leads to increased memory recall. We covered the advantages that direct mail has over email marketing in this guidethat will surely convince you to start putting more attention towards your direct mail.
1. Nobody’s Using Direct Mail Anymore
The greatest misconception about direct marketing is that it is a dead marketing channel that companies just don’t use anymore. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as direct mail is making a huge comeback due to the proven results it produces. People trust direct mail when it comes to their buying decisions, and marketers are picking up on this! Savvy marketers are focused on direct mail personalization as well as finding creative ways to combine direct mail with other marketing channels to create more effective campaigns.
Now that we’ve cleared all that up, check out the rest of our blog to learn the truth about direct mail marketing in our tips, tricks, and guides.
Successful direct mail marketing is all about creativity, targeting, and personalization; let the experts help you craft your next campaign and see just how powerful direct mail can be! Call 1-800-992-9663 to speak with your Plum Marketing Advisor today and get started on the campaign that will change your business.
