The “death” of printed direct mail was long rumored for years. While volume did decline for awhile, marketers have more recently begun to add direct mail back to their more integrated (print and online) marketing campaigns. This has been due to a realization of how consumers appreciate the personalized feel of direct mail versus digital marketing and by analyzing statistics (such as ones from the DMA Fact Book and AllBusiness Networks) that have been showing:
• 56% of consumers trust direct mail than other advertising methods.
• 70% of Americans feel direct mail is more personal.
• 56% of postcards along are read by consumers, while 55% of them reportedly read ALL their direct mail each day.
• 78% of emails (spam) never are opened.
• Response rates of direct mail are 37% higher than of emails.
• 39% of consumers try businesses for the first time because of direct mail.
Printed mail gives consumers the ability to really look it over, as opposed to quickly deleting email advertising. Also, studies show that computer screens “flicker” which bothers eyes and makes online reading more difficult.
While printed marketing may seem “old fashioned’, 92% of MILLENIALS prefer direct mail marketing when deciding on purchases and people 24 years and younger are the most responsive to it! The reason for this may be they’re getting less direct pieces in their mail boxes and bombarded by more and more emails (spam).
So, the future is looking brighter for direct mailings and commercial printing. They’re effective ways to promote businesses and by focusing on target groups can be very effective in a marketing campaign.
