Does direct mail feel outdated to you? Think again. You may want to consider it! Fewer companies are using direct mail, giving your campaign increased impact. Studies show direct mail pieces are handled at least once, stay in the house longer, and feel more personal. A Google search yields thousands of results; competition for your attention at the mailbox is less.
Direct Mail Response Rates
Response rates to direct mail rose from 2017 to 2018. House rates rose to 9% (3.9% increase) while prospect response rates rose to 5% (2.1% increase). Email averaged a click-through rate of about 2% or 3%, with response rates of 0.6%. Up to 90% of direct mail gets opened, compared to only 20-30% of emails.
Seventy-three percent of people said they prefer direct mail. Direct mail is effective and a game-changer for many marketers, especially when combined with a complimentary digital campaign.
Direct mail should be used as part of a multi-platform campaign. Using only one platform, i.e., Facebook, or paid search campaigns, rarely pays off.
Track Your Results
Track your response to find out what is working. Ideas for determining the effectiveness of your campaign:
- include a scannable code and hashtag to take them to your website
- create a unique phone number or website landing page for your direct mail campaign
- use a unique promo code or percentage-off coupons
Direct mail targets all age groups.
Facebook is only used by 46% of Americans over 65, meaning over half of older adults are not targeted on the largest social media platform in the world. Also, consider 33% of senior adults don’t have access to the internet. For millennials, statistics indicate that 30% of millennials find postal mail effective in getting them to visit a website, go to a store, or make a purchase. Only 24% said the same of email.
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)
The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides tools to reach your consumer audience without purchasing a mailing list and at a lower postage cost. Their Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) tool lets you send mail to customers in different areas without knowing their addresses. These pieces are in the packet of non-personalized mail that you receive almost every day.
When you hover your mouse over a route on the EDDM website, the tool will show you the number of residents, number of businesses, age range, average household size, and average household income of that zone. It even calculates the approximate cost of postage to send a mailer to that route.
While EDDM may work for businesses like a roofing company targeting homeowners, a pediatric dentist may find a more effective mailing list that targets homes with children (see below). You can mail to residences on a carrier route or businesses and residences on a carrier route. EDDM does NOT offer delivery to only companies on a carrier route, making it ineffective for business-to-business mailings.
Please note that the USPS has stringent direct mail size requirements and a set of steps when preparing and dropping off your outgoing EDDM. Read their description or check out The Definitive Guide to Do-It-Yourself Every Door Direct Mail.
Purchased Mailing Lists
Using one of many direct-mail list-building tools for businesses makes B2B direct mail is easy. Customizable your list with specific interests, ages, gender, job titles, zip codes, and more. Here is an excellent example of a direct mail list building tool for businesses. Find USPS info here and here.
