6 Advantages of Direct Mail

It can be hard for small or local businesses to decide where to place their advertising efforts. There are various options available, such as online, in print, or direct mail, and it’s important to choose the one that’s most effective for your budget and response rate.

In case you are considering using direct mail advertising as your primary method of advertising, we have listed down the six advantages of this type of marketing.

What is Direct Mail Advertising?

A direct mail advertisement is a type of marketing that involves delivering physical mail directly to a target audience in a specific region. It can be done through a variety of methods such as targeted mailing lists and saturation mail, which reaches all households within a neighborhood.

A direct mail advertisement can include various types of products and services, such as catalogs, coupons, and menus. Its versatility makes it an ideal marketing tool.

Aside from the product, successful direct mail marketing can also involve the various components of the campaign. A well-designed campaign can help boost a company’s response rate and reach its customers. According to a 2018 report released by the ANA, a well-executed direct mail campaign can reach a response rate of around 5% to 9%.

Here are six significant advantages of direct mail marketing.

Impressive Targeting Capabilities

One of the most common ways to target your audience digitally is through geotargeting and geofencing. This allows you to choose which routes to include or exclude based on the addresses within them. Another way to refine this process is by excluding certain types of addresses, such as drop addresses, PO Boxes, and seasonal dwellings.

You can also exclude certain carrier routes based on the data that you consider to be important, such as the age of the population, the area, the income of the household, the number of children, and the home values.

This method yields the cheapest target list, which is typically a saturation mailing list. It comes with the lowest overall cost per record and the lowest possible postage rate.

The complexity of your target list’s selection process will result in higher costs. Although the options are similar to that of a saturation list, they only target the individuals who are most likely to respond to your message.

Among the cheapest and most common options are opting for the age, gender, vehicle makes, years, hobbies, income, pet owners, and homeowners.

You can create a refined list of prospects by consolidating these options. Creating a digital target list requires you to analyze reports generated by various tools, such as Google Analytics, or pay for data from an expensive data warehouse. Unfortunately, the amount of information that you can gather in the digital world can be hard to interpret and get a handle on.

One of the most impressive features of direct mail is its ability to target people without having to know them all. Through this method, you can ask your provider how to reach out to the individuals that you want to reach. They will then come

up with recommendations and options that will help you reach those individuals while also keeping your marketing budget in check.

It’s Easy to Use

Direct mail is unlike other marketing channels in that it doesn’t have many bells and whistles. It doesn’t have a lot of features that other channels have, such as a platform to learn, strategies to review, and keywords to exclude. There are also fewer steps involved in the process.

Despite the complexity of direct mail, it is still very simple to execute a successful campaign. Aside from the usual elements like black plating and variable messaging, it also doesn’t require a lot of resources to get started.

Before you start, it’s important that you choose a product that fits your target audience. We’ll help you build a list that will be used for your campaign. Then, we’ll work with you to create unique ads. This is included in every campaign, as we know that good design is important. You can also design your own piece using one of our templates.

After you have approved your design and mailing list, we’ll start working on your campaign. One of the most effective ways to start a successful direct mail campaign is by scheduling an ongoing campaign. This allows you to send multiple mailers to each household. Aside from our affordable pricing plans, Mail Shark also simplifies the process of managing a direct mail campaign.

Our team will guide you through the entire process, so whether you want to start immediately or plan for a long-haul strategy, we’ll be there to help.

Less Competition in the mailbox

While the majority of marketing attention has shifted to online advertising, it’s still important to consider the clutter in your recipient’s mailbox. According to a study, people receive around two pieces of mail per day, which is less than the number of ads they see in a day.

Sending out promotional items that are memorable can help boost your chances of being seen. For instance, you can place magnets on your fridge or send oversized postcards. You can also create interactive flyers that feature QR codes or scratch-off prizes.

Items sent direct to friends and family can make an impact. Brand recognition will increase as people see your logo, and it should be prominent.

Physical mail appeals to recipients when they are likely to pay attention and are less likely to get distracted. It is harder to unsubscribe from physical mail than it is from an email, which may get deleted from their inbox or sent to a spam filter.

Pairs Well with Digital Marketing

Even though online advertising rates are lower, you can still afford to advertise. Customers are still interested in reading reviews online, following your company on social media, or joining a loyalty program.

Direct mail marketing is a great way to reach out to your customers while also giving them the opportunity to interact with you online. It allows you to include various features such as QR codes and social media links.

Direct mail and online marketing can be integrated using the various tools that are available to track and manage your campaigns. You can create a customized multichannel strategy by using different techniques at each step.

You can create a restaurant menu as a direct mail advertisement and then follow up with a display ad on Facebook and Google Ads. This allows you to reach out to your potential customers at various stages of their buying journey.

Builds Brand Loyalty and Recall

Despite the increasing popularity of online ads, many customers still prefer to receive direct mail. They are more likely to trust businesses that have a physical address.

Direct mail is an effective way to build brand legitimacy and attract more potential customers. Using consistent colors and logos helps clients easily identify you.

A prospect is more likely to respond positively after they interact with your brand. They will then become customers and receive personalized discounts and birthday rewards. You can also encourage word-of-mouth marketing by giving a referral code.

The Tactile Value of Physical Mail

The main reason why direct mail is more mentally effective than digital marketing is that our brains are more capable of processing physical items.

According to fMRI studies, physical media is more emotional than digital media. It can also lead to better recall and experience memorable moments. Emails are less likely to elicit a response than direct mail, and items are more likely to be forgotten after being read on a screen.

This is also the reason why many people prefer tactile experiences when receiving direct mail. For instance, by using interactive elements, unexpected sizes, and weights, you can create an unforgettable impression for your customers.

Most of the items that we used to look forward to receiving in the mail have gone digital. However, our habit of checking the box every day hasn’t changed. To make the most of this behavior, try giving your customers a variety of unique and attractive gift cards, menus, or scratch-off postcards.

We Can Help!

Compared to other forms of advertising, direct mail offers many advantages, but it’s important to work with a company that has experience with this type of marketing. The team at Premier Mail Marketing can help you get the most out of it by walking you through every step of the process, from design to delivery. Reach out to us today to get a quote and begin planning your direct mail campaign.