Is Direct Mail Worth Your Time in 2018?

Consumers are demanding more from brands today. It’s not enough to sell – you need to provide an incentive, a narrative behind their reason to buy your products. To shout the loudest in the age of digital marketing, you must stand out and provide something more than your competitors. Information regarding your consumer’s buying habits and wants is readily available, so use that data to your advantage – knowledge is power. Washington Direct Mail, a UK mailing house, are sharing the possibilities for marketing in the future, and why direct mail is making a comeback.

Over the past several years, as the internet rose to the powerhouse it is currently, direct mail took a back seat for marketing strategies. However, as email marketing begins to overload our inboxes – with the average worker receiving more than 100 a day – brands are looking to alternative methods of speaking to their prospects. Let’s face it; no one wants to sift through their personal emails after doing the same task at work for eight hours.

Digital advertising is over saturated in 2018 and companies should look at taking their foot off the gas and becoming more personal. There’s nothing more personal than direct mail delivered through your door and landing in your home. You can place your message into the hands of your audience, leaving no room for doubt that they have seen your mail. Your email marketing may go straight to their junk folder and, subsequently, deleted. Direct marketing insights suggest that direct mailers are kept in the house for 17 days, with over 66% of direct mail is read.

Direct mail response rates have more than doubled over the years. When paired with digital advertising, direct mail campaigns can lift open rates by 118%. Technological advances within the industry have significantly contributed to the rise – particularly as consumers look elsewhere to digest information. We are living in an online world, with over 80% accessing media time over the phone, but customers are looking to turn away from the screen. Those who you wouldn’t expect, such as Millennials, are part of the change – 66% said they would be more likely to use a voucher delivered to their door, rather than online. With those powerful statistics in mind, there are several marketing formats that are proving popular, and will continue to do so in the future.

Dimensional Mailers

Dimensional mailers are, in simple terms, mail that has dimensions. It’s not your usual envelope, but a promotional package. Dimensional mailers afford you the chance to inject personality into your campaign, and get people talking. Take Smart, for example, sending out cardboard helmet templates for their prospects to assemble. This clever marketing trick not only caused a stir on social media, but completed the objective of promoting their brand-new range of e-bikes. Dimensional mailers can cost a little more due to postage, but it could prove invaluable in spreading your message.

Multi-Channel Integration

Separately, you can argue both direct mail and digital advertising have their merits. However, put them together, and you’ve made magic. Combining the forms of communication has proven wholly effective for many brands, as you are expanding your reach but still targeting those relevant to your company. Multi-channel integration is easily achieved when sending out your campaign, through the use of QR codes and landing pages etc. Encourage your consumers to scan the code or visit the unique URL, offering them an incentive (such as a discount or freebie) to do so. From there, you can track the number of visits and measure the success of the campaign with the aim to replicate.

Programmatic Mail

Programmatic mail is the buzzword of 2018 for the direct mail industry, and is a clear example of multi-channel integration. For example, a shopper can be browsing your site, placing products in their basket but later abandoning their cart. Typically, they would receive an email reminding them of their basket, which would likely be ignored. However, companies are getting savvy to the increase in direct mail, sending mailing to the prospects house within 12 hours reminding them of their purchases. You cannot ignore the message when it is in your house, even if placed straight in the bin.

For businesses looking into the possibilities of direct mailing, we always recommend personalisation. Marketing addressed to the ‘homeowner’ will be ignored, and it’s not difficult to find that information. Ultimately, direct mail boasts proven results and it’s time to stand out from the crowd.