If you’re serious about marketing your business, you’ve probably considered both email and direct mail marketing. While both of these valuable marketing methods are effective tools, we see great opportunity for businesses that invest in direct mail. In our increasingly digital world, many consumers feel overwhelmed by the number of emails they receive, and catching a reader’s attention is a challenge. So, what are the benefits of direct mail marketing vs. email marketing?
Direct Mail Open Rate
Marketers consider both the open rate and the click rate when analyzing the effectiveness of an email campaign. The open rate measures how many people access the email and the click rate measures how many people actually click a link within the email. According to email marketing company Campaign Monitor, in 2019 the open rate for retail marketing emails was 13.9%.
Direct mail open rate is much easier to understand: if you mail a postcard and all your recipients open their mailbox, your open rate is 100%. A direct mail postcard has all the information presented in an easy to read way, right there in the palm of the recipient’s hand. Even letter and envelope mailings, which need to be physically opened, can make a significant impression on the recipient through envelope design. Well done, direct mail!
The Value of the Physical
This is one factor that must be considered when comparing email and direct mail marketing, particularly in light of the past year. If the increase in Zoom and FaceTime calls that COVID-19 brought about teaches us anything, it’s that there’s something about physical interaction that just can’t be replaced. In fact, according to a study done in the UK by Royal Mail MarketReach, people value something they can touch and see 24% more than something they can only see. As multi-sensory beings we appreciate marketing that appeals to multiple senses.
Another key difference between direct mail and email is that a physical piece of direct marketing has to have a physical home. Granted, in some cases that home may be the recycling bin, but on other occasions it will be on a table, in a file, or on the fridge—and all of these locations allow for better viewing opportunities than an email that is buried in an inbox or immediately deleted.
Local Markets Deserve Local Attention
There are plenty of large businesses that work across states and national borders, but the majority of companies in America are smaller and focused on local customers. In fact, according to JP Morgan Chase, 99% of America’s 28.7 million businesses are small businesses and 88% employ less than 20 people. As a local business, you want to reach your local market, and this is where direct mail can help you succeed.
See the Difference Between Direct Mail and Email
With a simple call or email to Excel Printing and Mailing, we can tell you exactly how many residential or business addresses are local to you, and work with you to create the perfect direct mail campaign to reach them. With Every Door Direct Mail, you can reach masses of people for a low price, while using an addressed mail piece with a targeted mailing list will help you reach a specific audience for a better ROI. There are so many ways to use direct mail to reach your local market—options that email marketing just can’t match.
Have more questions about how direct mail might work for your business? Call or email us today, or request a quote for your campaign!
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