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New research provides insight into the benefits of direct mail
Marketing a product or a brand is more than simply putting a logo on a billboard or sending a prospective customer a promotional flyer. A truly effective advertising campaign focuses its efforts on not only how to send out a message, but also on what individuals do with that piece of information once they have it.
Among email users, the Direct Marketing Association found only 17 percent keep emails they find to be interesting, while 66 percent keep direct mail. Additionally, once prospective customers have flagged a particular email as interesting, only 45 percent will immediately act on it, significantly less than the nearly 80 percent who will respond to direct mail.
These days, customers are inundated with waves of digital communications, many of which could be classified as spam and are potentially harmful to a reader's computer or mobile device. This has led customers to be inherently wary of online interactions. The DMA recently discovered as many as 56 percent of consumers find direct mail to be the most trustworthy form of communication.
Direct mail is read, it's trusted and, most importantly, customers are often compelled to immediately act upon the mail they receive. It's no surprise a study from the Manufacturer's Coupon Control Center found 75 percent of customers who consider themselves loyal would consider switching brands if they received a competitor's coupon via direct mail.
For companies hoping to strengthen an existing campaign or structure a new one, using mailing software is an intelligent way to maximize efficiency, both in regards to labor and costs. Mailing software offers users an easy means to consolidate postal operations. By generating all required postal reports and automatically presorting mail, among other things, companies can ensure they are capitalizing on all available discounts while simultaneously reducing work.
