The Resurgence of Direct Mail Marketing

Direct mail is making a comeback - and for good reason!

Given the dominance of the online sector, digital marketing has become a ubiquitous practice in the modern era. Gone are the days of mailboxes stuffed with magazines, envelopes, and packages. Instead, the onus has shifted towards targeting consumer’s e-mail and social media feeds. Is this still the best way to actively engage people with your brand’s message today?

Worry not, digital advertising should continue to be a mainstay in your marketing strategy. However, as we shift into a virtual world on account of the pandemic, many are experiencing digital advertising fatigue. Consumers are so inundated with advertisements across multiple platforms that they’ve become somewhat immune to it. Think of how often you skip through a YouTube ad or scroll past a targeted post.

Enter direct mail, which is making a comeback- and for good reasons! This seemingly antiquated marketing strategy is becoming an increasingly effective tool for brand engagement. Our clients are finding that dimensional direct mail engages consumers in a meaningful way in the absence of face-to-face marketing. Direct mail is a personalized, experiential approach that provides an excellent opportunity for people to reconnect with your brand. It yields fantastic results and response rates, making it the perfect tool to integrate with your digital marketing campaigns.

Direct Mail Kits: More Effective Than Digital Marketing?

Curated, dimensional direct mail is created specifically for experiential marketing. Designed by HGX based on client goals, campaigns focus on kits that reach customers or employees wherever they are – home or office. Colorful, classy, scented, loud, or just plain fun, these packages evoke excitement. Most importantly, they provide incentives for people to take action and reconnect with your brand.

After all, who doesn’t love getting a package in the mail? Although digital marketing has dominated the industry, direct mail is a powerful tool to reach people because it makes them feel good. It can be difficult to make your brand stand out amidst the noise of ‘digital clutter.’ Receiving direct mail allows customers to connect with your brand through a tangible experience. Further, recipients can’t overlook direct mail as easily as online advertising.

Even so, adopting a direct mail strategy doesn’t mean you have to forego your digital marketing agenda. Combining the personalized experience of direct mail with an online marketing campaign can create a powerful marketing mix. Consider this sample approach for an effective mailing campaign:

Touchpoint 1: The client is sent a piece of personalized direct mail that incentivizes them to visit your website or take the next step.

Touchpoint 2: Client visits the website and directly interacts with the desired component of the webpage

Touchpoint 3: The client is sent another direct mail piece that thanks them for their action

Though this campaign can be implemented from an entirely digital approach, utilizing direct mail elevates the intended recipient’s experience while boosting your results.

Social media can also prove effective in strategically integrating direct mail and digital marketing. Many users, especially younger groups, are apt to post their curated ‘gift’ on their social media feed. If your mailer reaches a user with a large following you can earn your brand some extra media exposure. Encouraging a high-profile user to share their direct mail with their followers makes the experience both individualized and universal. Be sure to include a thank you note to the influencer for their part.

Tips

• Direct mail should be a personalized experience for the recipient
• Include an incentive for the recipient to take action: visit a website, post their direct mailer to their social media feed, or respond to a survey
• Send follow-ups and thank you notes

Is it worth it to invest in direct mail marketing?

The pandemic has created a new world where we lack our usual points of connection. In the absence of tradeshows and events, direct mail allows you to put your brand directly in your clients and prospects hands. Clients are tapping into the power of direct mail and finding that it boasts impressive returns. Approximately 90% of direct mail gets opened, ensuring that your brand ends up in the customer’s hands. What’s more, 75% of people can recall a brand after receiving direct mail, compared to 44% brand recognition with email.

Employing direct mail for your brand doesn’t have to break the bank either. Opportunities for face-to-face marketing remain limited if not obsolete for the foreseeable future, leaving product budgets in limbo. Our clients are repurposing marketing dollars that would typically be used for in-person events to fund direct mail campaigns.

Overall, direct mail has an equally impressive return on investment at a median of 29%. Consumers are more likely to engage with direct mail because it’s creative, memorable, and personalized. It transcends the capabilities of digital marketing by being tangible and multisensory. Most importantly, direct mail has been utilized much less frequently in the digital age. That means your brand has less to compete within the consumer’s mailbox. Pairing curated direct mail with digital marketing can help your brand receive the undivided attention it deserves.

If you’re aiming for a B2B approach, sales kits can help strengthen existing partnerships. Or, if you’re gearing towards a B2C approach, direct mail can help consumers reconnect with your brand in a refreshing way. No matter what your goals are, implementing a direct mail strategy is an essential step in the right direction for your brand.

Takeaways

• Direct mail is experiencing a revival as an exciting way to engage people at home
• HGX’s curated direct mail kits can be strategically integrated with a digital marketing approach
• Direct mail yields impressive returns on investment with a median ROI of 29%.

Sources:

Debbie Nierman, Founder and CCO, HGX Creative

SBA, Small Business Genius, Neil Patel