Can direct mail be the secret to the success of your next campaign and boost your marketing return on investment?
There is no disputing the fact that the rapid advancement of digital technologies has presented a transformational opportunity for marketers. The growing popularity of digital has enabled advertisers to improve the speed, relevance and reach of their campaigns.
Saturated Online Advertising Space
However, while the digital environment offers new channels and increased interactivity, the online advertising space is now saturated. With very little room for growth. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to compete for the online consumer’s 8-second attention span. And the bombardment of online ads has resulted in only an estimated 2% of advertisements receiving valuable attention every day.
And this in turn has created an opportunity for the return of direct mail. In fact, the effectiveness of direct mail has been enhanced by the growth of digital technologies. The latest report from the Direct Marketing Association confirms this. They recently reported the year 2018 as the highest response rates for direct mail since 2003.
In addition, the median return on investment (ROI) for direct mail coming in at 29%.
Here are 5 Ways It Can Boost Your Marketing ROI
1. Direct mail gets attention
Consumers are more likely to open, read and absorb the information on a piece of direct mail than digital form of advertising. Mail is a very personal form of communication and people still like the anticipation of collecting mail and enjoy the process of opening and reading it.
Hence, studies have shown that being able to touch the tangible mail piece allows for the brain to reach a deeper level of engagement. Hence, the reader is more likely to remember the message being conveyed, the story being told and assign emotional meaning to the brand. They are also more likely to respond to the call to action as a result whether that be going online to browse, visit a physical store or phone a contact number on the mail piece.
2. Direct mail has a longer lifespan
A digital ad or email can vanish in the time it takes the reader to scroll or press the delete button. On the contrary, people take more time when handling and reading print mail. This means on average consumers interact with it longer than digital ads and it has a longer lifespan in the household or office environment.
Postcards, catalogs, brochures and letters are likely to found pinned to notice boards, sitting on countertops or lying in office inbox trays for days or weeks after delivery. This visibility allows for numerous opportunities for engagement from those who come into contact with it. And this longer lifespan means the campaign message has a higher likelihood of resonating with the audience.
3. Direct mail can be highly personal
Direct mail is a great way to establish a trustworthy relationship with the consumer. By making it personal, consumers feel valued. By adding something as simple as a person’s name to a piece of direct mail, the response rate increases by an estimated 135%.
In addition to the name, marketers can leverage existing data about the consumer. This includes geographic region and accessing purchase behaviour data to develop behaviour patterns. You could mention an injury they made, a person they were speaking to in the office or a product they had looked. Showing interest in their likes and preferences can help build a relationship with that person.
4. Direct mail is persuasive
Direct mail is a highly persuasive form of advertising. It contains strong call-to-actions that resonate with the reader.
You can include customer testimonials, ratings, certificates of authority or sales figures to communicate social proof. People like to read how others rated a product or service, and make the subconscious assumption that if a lot of people are using it then there is a good reason why.
Furthermore, an effective way to be persuasive on the mail piece is to tell a story. Stories help us to better comprehend, react and remember a message. Stories don’t have to be static narratives, they can be flexible and changeable, influenced by reader’s reactions and re-imagined over time.
5. Direct mail can be integrated with a digital marketing campaign
Direct mail is most effective when integrated with other marketing mediums and it works great with a digital marketing campaign. You can use the direct mail piece to direct customers to look at the online offer, including QR codes to direct readers to an online landing page, social media page or YouTube video.
If you are currently considering how to spend your marketing budget, our advice would be to disperse the spend and focus on an integrated campaign. Embedded links will enable you to capture customer data which can help measure ROI.
Finally, if you are you interested in creating a direct mail marketing campaign? Get in touch with us today at Genius Marketing and find out how we can help you boost your ROI. Have you another 5 minutes to spare? Listen to our 5 Genius Tips on in 5 minutes : The Direct Mail edition below.
