Direct mail is the process of using snail mail to encourage recipients to take action. Chances are you’ve gotta a piece of direct mail before; an unsolicited letter or ad containing deals and details about a local business.
Today, this might come in the form of coupons to restaurants or even grocery stores. Established brands can use direct mail marketing to truly hone in on their demographic for a powerful campaign. Because this marketing method isn’t as popular as it used to be before the proliferation of email, many consumers, business owners, and marketers don’t full understand it. With that in mind, here are five interesting things you didn’t know…
1. It Isn’t Dead
Although it’s not as common of a practice as it used to be, direct mail is not dead. In fact, this form of advertising is experiencing a comeback. For starters, there is a nostalgic element tied to direct mail. There’s something unique about receiving snail mail that doesn’t just look like a flyer. One study showed that direct mail created stronger brand emotions and built higher internalization in the mind.
This means a piece of direct mail is more likely to be remembered than an online ad. Furthermore, studies from the Data & Marketing Association found that the direct mail customer response rate increased by 190% between 2015 and 2016. Today’s marketers are creating campaigns that stick, using beautifully designed inserts and custom packaging (design your own custom envelopes here: https://www.envelopesuperstore.com/window-envelopes).
2. It Encourages Renewal
A survey from Mail Print found that 70% of people who received direct mail from a business they stopped engaging with were encouraged their relationship with them. In this sense, you can think of direct mail as the equivalent to the digital form of retargeting. With retargeting, businesses can reintroduce themselves to consumers that have demonstrated interest in them before. Perhaps that consumer visited their website or entered a search term related to their company. Or they may have put items in their basket but never checked out.
With retargeting, tracking pixels are used to show advertisements to that same consumers for the business. The same applies to direct mail. It serves as a reminder that they either were a satisfied customer in the past, or were interested in the product. And because direct mail is inherently more memorable, they are more likely to take action after.
3. It Comes 3D
With direct mail experiencing a comeback, marketers are doing their best to be creative with their mailing efforts and putting together mailers that really make their mark. For instance, in a direct mail campaign from IKEA, they sent out flat mailers that could be opened up to create a pop-up, 3D version of a piece of popular furniture. They hoped to create an element of surprise while simultaneously delivering the message that IKEA furniture was simple to put together.
ADT Security also put together a hard-hitting direct mail campaign with a powerful message. The company was able to slip a flat box under doors, and this flat box sprung open up into a 3D “cardboard” box. After the recipient opened the box, they found a card that detailed how easy it was for the average home to be broken into.
According to the Direct Marketing Association, 3D mail has a 250% better response rate than standard direct mail. And today, there are companies that specialize in creating 3D marketing materials, like a greeting cube or mailing pack.
4. Direct Mail vs. EDDM
Chances are you’ve seen a bundle of coupons in your mailbox before. And chances are that a business sent those coupons using Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM). Although EDDM is a type of direct mail, there are some notable differences between the two. The main difference is that traditional direct mail is highly targeted to a specific demographic. They can target recipients based on income level, gender, education, and several other variables.
EDDM, on the other hand, is a postal service offered by USPS that allows business owners to target a specific geographic area, regardless of those demographics. This might be a good option for local businesses that want to attract nearby residences.