There was a time in the not-too-distant past when consumers (and businesses) got a little tired of all the direct mail pitches they were receiving. A big reason for that is that many businesses did a poor job of selecting their lists, crafting compelling offers, and giving consumers a good reason to respond. Instead of helping consumers make good decisions, they bombarded them with sales pitches. And responses to direct mail began to dip.
Along came the Internet, and people began to embrace it. It was fun and exciting to hear that little “ding” and get the message that. “You’ve got mail!” But it didn’t take terribly long before the inboxes on their computers were just as stuffed with the same kind of annoying messages that they had once filled their mailboxes. And consumers responded in much the same way—except that they now had the ability to “trash” 357 unread messages with a simple click. As a result, some businesses are seeing a resurgence in the effective use of direct mail. Here are three reasons why direct mail still matters in an online age.
1. What’s Old Is New Again
For a whole new generation of consumers physical mail is almost a novelty. And a well-designed and executed direct mailing today faces much less competition in the mailbox.
2. Direct Mail Reinforces Online Efforts
The Internet is a huge place and it’s easy for consumers to get lost. Well done direct mail can guide potential customers to your website for detailed information—particularly if it points readers back to a specific landing page that focuses on the exact information they want.
3. Direct Mail is “Sticky”
It’s really easy to delete an unwanted email. A piece of physical mail, however, has a better chance of sticking around—particularly if it offers something valuable (such as helpful information). It’s a visual reminder to the recipient that they may want to go to a website to check something out.
Is direct mail the answer to all of your marketing challenges? Of course not, but it should be a part of your overall marketing strategy.
