[6] Tips to BOOST Your Direct Marketing Response Rates | #3 Why + When to Use Direct Mail.

In the last two blog posts of this series, we’ve talked about the importance of knowing your audience and about leveraging a multichannel approach. In the third post of this series, we’re going to highlight the advantages of adding direct mail to your marketing mix and why it can be so impactful.

To get all six tips upfront, simply download our ebook, Augmenting Digital Marketing with Direct Mail. 6 Tips to Boost Response Rates.

TIP #3 | Why + When to Use Direct Mail.

Direct mail works especially well for verticals that need to create demand for their offers, such as banking, credit cards, fundraising, insurance, home improvement, communications, retail (catalogs), and many others.

One of the unique features of direct mail is that it can enter a prospect’s home and be present with them for any amount of time. In fact, the average lifespan of a direct mail piece is 17 days versus just 2 seconds for a marketing email. 

Average Lifespan

If key strategic elements are applied to the mail piece, it can get stuck to the fridge or live in a to-do pile, as opposed to meeting a sad fate in the trash.

Advantages of Direct Mail

Direct mail offers several advantages for achieving marketing objectives. When combined with effective strategy and other tactical elements, direct mail can be instrumental in driving the success of a campaign.

Download our Advantages of Direct Mail Infographic >

What makes direct mail so impactful?

Agencies that specialize in direct mail understand how to develop campaigns that leverage these key drivers. As with any marketing channel, messaging that reaches carefully targeted prospects with a strong offer inspires action.

Let’s break down the 3 core elements.

Core Elements of Direct Mail

Direct mail offers the unique advantage of tangibility. Recipients can hold the offer in their hands, save it, and emotionally connect with it. This is why mail creates higher recall than online messaging received in a cluttered digital environment.

Direct mail offers the unique advantage of tangibility.

The direct mail piece should be memorable to the customer. The piece should stand out in the mail pile, perhaps through an oversized format, a textured paper stock, or a protective poly bag, to name a few.

Headline copy should convey urgency to open it, whether it’s a feeling of exclusivity, a limited-time offer, or some other appeal to emotions.

Tip 3 | Why + When to Use Direct Mail.

 MEMORABLE

To learn more, download our BKM Marketing e-book guide Augmenting Digital Marketing with Direct Mail | 6 Tips to Boost Response Rates >>

And stay tuned for next week's Tip #4  |Test Something New with Every Marketing Campaign...

Quick links to other posts in this series

Tip #1 |  Understand Your Audience >

Tip #2 |  The Importance of an Integrated Marketing Mix. >

Sources:
Niblock, Rosie. “Infographic: Direct Mail vs. Email”. 15 February 2017, https://www.digitaldoughnut.com/articles/2017/february/infographic-direct-mail-vs-email.
The Association of National Advertisers(ANA), “ANA/DMA Response Rate Report 2018” https://www.ana.net.
Tax Marketing HQ via DM Stats Modern Postcard, https://www.modernpostcard.com/blog/direct-mail-statistics.
Warranty Week (via Modern Postcard DM Stats), https://www.modernpostcard.com/blog/direct-mail-statistics .