Direct Mail Advertising Isn’t Dead

One big urban legend for marketers and business owners is that direct mail is dead, however it is not just alive, but direct mail could be considered superior to other marketing channels. 

In its response rate report, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) found that direct mail achieves a 4.4% response rate, compared to 0.12% for email. Overall, the DMA found direct mail’s response rates are anywhere from 10 to 30 times higher than that of digital. Consumers are often overwhelmed with cluttered inboxes and are more receptive to direct mail which arrives on a much less-cluttered channel.

Even junk mail in the mailbox has something few marketing emails will ever possess: the reality factor. A study conducted by UK Royal Mail concluded that the upswing in the use of direct mail and its enduring effectiveness is because “giving, receiving, and handling tangible objects remain deep and intuitive parts of human experience.” It’s also proven that people who were exposed to physical ads experienced heightened excitement as well as a greater desirability for the items advertised. 

Another urban legend is that millennials would never be interested in anything like postal mail. The fact is millennials like mail, they enjoy the act of receiving mail. Gallup reported that 36% of people under the age of 30 look forward to checking their mailboxes every day. Plus, 95% of 18-to-29-year-olds have a positive response to receiving personal cards and letters. That generation is estimated to yield $1.4 trillion in spending power by 2020. 

All of this research goes to show that people love getting mail and there are opportunities for marketers and business owners. As many things in life are switched to digital, not all marketing should be. If you need help with direct mail marketing, call Velocity Agency today!