Does Direct Mail Work?

How Effective Is Direct Mail?

Considering direct mail marketing to promote your business but are unsure of their effectiveness? Does direct mail work? Many business owners wonder if direct mail is still relevant in the age of digital marketing. From social media to emails, marketers are focusing on digital marketing best practices to achieve their marketing goals. In fact, 63 percent of B2C (business to consumer) brands have invested in direct mail marketing to reap its benefits.

While digital marketing is important, here are some statistics that show why combining it with direct mail is the best way to boost your marketing ROI (return on investment).

Customers Prefer Direct Mail

Direct mail works becuase close to 60 percent of people in the U.S. enjoy receiving direct mail marketing materials from businesses about new products. This is despite the fact that they can easily do a Google search to discover new products their favorite brands have on offer. Six out of ten Americans enjoy learning about products through direct mail, according to a study. A glossy catalog or personalized letter marketing makes potential customers feel valued and appreciated by the business. According to a Fundera survey, 70 percent of people believe direct mail marketing is more personal as compared to online interactions.

Direct Mail Speeds Up The Purchasing Process

Purchase decisions typically take more than a week while close to 30 percent of customers need a month to make a purchase. Does direct mail work? A survey showed that a whopping 73 percent of people who received direct mail material took slightly longer than only one day to make a buying decision. Sixty-one percent of direct mail recipients say it influences their purchase decisions. Another study found that 77 percent of recipients visited a store while 84 percent bought a product after viewing it in a catalog.

High Response Rate

Does direct mail work as far as response rates? Multiple studies show that the response rates for direct mail marketing are up to nine times more than email response rates. A great way to boost response rates is to personalize your messages. For instance, personalized catalogs deliver a response rate of 500 percent. Adding the name of the recipient in postcard marketing or letter marketing can boost response rates by as much as 135 percent.

Direct Mail Recipients Spend More & Buy More

Whether it is postcards, catalogs, or dimensional mailers, the recipients love to keep them for many weeks that promote brand recall and retention. Additionally, personalized content boosts engagement by making customers feel more valued. These factors combine to encourage them to visit the brand's brick-and-mortar store or website to make a purchase. As per USPS data, in comparison with people who did not receive direct mail, direct mail recipients bought 28 percent more items while spending 28 percent more money. You might say that direct mail works at least 28% better than not doing it.

These figures are convincing arguments that direct mail does work and for you to go ahead with direct mail marketing. The key to your direct mail marketing success, however, also lies in the accuracy of your mailing list. Define your buyer persona and ensure you have a targeted customer mailing list to boost the ROI of your campaign.

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