By
Mark Lee
Is
direct mail a dinosaur in the new world of digital marketing?
The answer is…..NO! It’s still the same marketing workhorse it always was.
All the evidence shows that
direct mail is still a key part of an integrated marketing approach. Touching a customer across multiple channels not only increases your branding, but it also keeps your company top-of-mind with potential clients.
The fact is
direct mail remains one of the least expensive and most effective marketing strategies. Writing in forbes.com,
Steve Olenski says, unless we are all replaced by robots, there will always be the need to factor in the human side – the living breathing human element when trying to reach your target audience.
A study by Millward Brown called
Using Neuroscience to Understand the Role of Direct Mail, revealed ”physical media left a ‘deeper footprint’ in the brain, even after for controlling for the increase in sensory processing for tangible items.”
• Physical material involves more emotional processing, which is important for memory and brand associations
• Physical materials produced more brain response connected with internal feelings, suggesting greater “internalization” of the ads
• More processing is taking place in the right retrosplenial cortex when physical material is presented. This is involved in the processing of emotionally powerful stimuli and memory, which would suggest that the physical presentation may be generating more emotionally vivid memories
The United States Postal Service reports that 98% of consumers bring their mail in the day it is delivered, and 77% sift through it immediately. The ability to reach the consumer is one of the hardest parts of marketing, so
direct mail unlike email marketing, allows you to allude that pesky spam folder and get in front of your target.
Lifehack.org reminds us that
direct mail is flexible in that it can serve a variety of different goals. It can be used as an invitation or short term promotional tool, like in the form of a coupon or sales collateral. It can also serve as a reminder or informational tool. They could be in the form of birthday cards or other holiday reminders, or even Newsletters that give that individual a glimpse into the inner workings of your company.
Direct mail can also be used as a tool to gather more information about your customer or your company; surveys and questionnaires are a great way to leverage
direct mail serving as an information gateway to your customers and strengthening relationships by soliciting their opinions. You can also utilize this opportunity to gain more information such as email addresses, phone numbers, or other personal information that may be outdated or unknown.
So, be a smart marketer. Use all the tools at your disposal. And don’t discard the workhorse.
AlphaGraphics Arlington. Direct Mail Experts.
www.us110.alphagraphics.com