Since direct mail volume has been on the decline, it can be even more impactful as a part of your business communication. Why? It offers a physical interaction, and it can engage an audience with a business on a more personal level than digital marketing. Looking ahead, direct mail could be the secret weapon that allows businesses to get in front of their audience and team members physically, personally and effectively.

Many businesses have put this “traditional” marketing strategy aside, though it is still towards the top of the list for best marketing strategies with a return-on-investment (ROI). But, with more and more business professionals working remote, that subtle corporate thank you gift, newsletter and client appreciation message can be a success, with a little direct mail help.

Direct mail volume is on the decline, but not the value

Advertising mail delivered to mailboxes has slowly declined in the last 5 years, with a significant drop in 2020, but that is a good thing if you are utilizing direct mail. Less mail in the mailbox means your piece is more likely to be seen. Also, not only is mail becoming more appreciated with the increasing number of professionals working from home, but millennials feel that direct mail is the personal touch that puts your business physically in their hands and away from the digital marketing.

In a recent USPS write-up, millennials are leading the way for most interaction with direct mail. This makes it seem that direct mail may have longevity as a marketing tool for years to come:

  • 80% of millennials look forward to seeing what they’ve received in their mailbox
  • 88% of millennials take the time to look through their mail
  • 59% of millennials find the information they receive by mail to be more useful than the information they receive by email
  • 49% of millennials prefer to shop at stores that advertise to them through mail

Target your audience and save money

EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) is not right for every business. Sending out a mass mailing can be expensive and may also fall into the hands of people who do not fit your ideal audience. Purchasing a mailing list is most effective in targeting a specific audience. When you purchase a list to use in a direct mail campaign, the addresses provided can be chosen specifically to the demographics of your market including information about the family, number of children, total income and many other details.

For example, a daycare could purchase a list that only contains names and addresses of households that have children. Now the daycare knows their direct mail piece will only be sent to homes that have children in them and not to every house on the block.

Businesses that serve customers in a certain area or zip code can target their market by utilizing a tool like Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM). With this online tool, you can pick a specific city and mail route to target your mailing. This tool also provides details on how many businesses and residents are on each route.

Bulk mail is when a mailing is sent to a large group of clients or prospects at one time. For mailings that reach high volumes like this, a sender can receive a bulk mail rate which drops the postage cost significantly, saving money on the mailing campaign.

Personalize your direct mail with variable data

Variable data allows a business to personalize their direct mail pieces specific to the person receiving the mail. This includes printing the name and other specific data about the recipient on the piece of mail they are receiving. This approach is most enticing to the reader, because the information they are reading is relative and unique to them with the customized messaging.

For example, a car dealership may send a personalized postcard to a customer a few years after they have purchased a vehicle. The dealership uses variable data to have the customer’s name in the marketing message along with an image showing the newer model of the vehicle that they had previously purchased. The customer feels like the postcard was directly talking to them with the personalized information and image, making the postcard more effective in getting the message across.

Make direct mail interactive with a digital call-to-action

The most effective way to get readers to act on a direct mail piece is through a call-to-action (CTA) that tells the reader what to do next. Typically, businesses will tell the reader to visit a web link for more information, or to call them to learn more. To make a CTA more interactive, bring in another marketing channel or lead generation tool to help influence the reader by adding a QR Code.

Quick Response (QR) Codes have been around since 1994, but have been embraced by businesses more recently as a way to share digital information in-person with their customers. A QR code is an interactive barcode used to hold digital information, like a website URL, video link, document link or phone number. When this code is scanned by a smartphone, the information in the QR code is obtained and now accessible to the user on their phone. This creates a unique and memorable interaction for the reader who receives the direct mail piece, and they are able to interact with your business beyond the physical mailer.

At IntegriPrint, we provide the strategy, design services and printing for direct mail campaigns. Our shipping and fulfillment department offers a full suite of professional mailing services as well.

If you have questions or would like to start a conversation on what tools would work for your marketing budget, give us a call at 763-682-3750 or shoot us an email at clientcare@integriprint.com. We look forward to serving you!