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Direct mail in a digital age
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Blending new technology and old-school familiarity can spell future success.
The envelope please…
As of 2024, investment in digital channels, including paid search, display, social media, online advertising, and email marketing, accounts for approximately 58% of total advertising spending in the United States. This shift reflects the growing importance of digital platforms in reaching and engaging consumers, though the growth rate in digital advertising is slowing as the market matures (Forrester, Nielsen).
As more companies shift their marketing budgets out of print, the advantages of direct mail have not only grown—they’ve been left open for the taking. In fact, direct mail has the highest rate of success in new customer acquisition compared to other marketing channels, according to Target Marketing. This comeback is surprising until you consider the side effects of digital marketing’s growth.
Print’s benefits are still unfolding
Customers are increasingly inundated with marketing messages—the average person receives nearly 3,000 in one day alone. As they get emails, text messages, digital media alerts and more, direct mail has become the less invasive form of communication.
The phrase “Don’t believe everything you read” has morphed into “Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet,” and recipients of all ages appreciate that they can control if and when they read a physical piece of mail.
Facebook joins direct mail with digital marketing to entice CEOs: A case study
Even the social media giant Facebook recognizes when paper is best to tell its game-changing digital success stories.
After a marketing conference for CEOs, Facebook sent the list of attendees a printed self-mailer that drove them to a microsite. Facebook was able to track its targets’ interests as well as digitally connect with potential customers, which achieved its campaign strategy goals.
The mailer’s creative graphics and energetic headlines were able to convey the interactive and dynamic nature of Facebook’s digital marketing platforms—all on paper.
Print and screen aren’t mortal enemies. In fact, they’re quickly becoming marketing’s hottest power couple.
Rate of millennials who take the time to look through their mail to make sure they’re not discarding useful information.
Rate of millennials who take the time to look through their mail to make sure they’re not discarding useful information.
Source: “USPS Mail Moments: 2020 Review,” United States Postal Service, 2020.
Percentage of marketers who said that integrating direct mail with digital channels has a positive effect on campaign performance.
Percentage of marketers who said that integrating direct mail with digital channels has a positive effect on campaign performance.
Source: “Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report,” SeQuel Response, 2024.
Two channels are better than one
Strategically merging direct mail’s newfound power and digital marketing’s evolving techniques can make connecting with your customer easier than ever.
Track effectiveness
From recording mailed coupon redemptions to capturing extensive metrics on a print-promoted microsite, joining these platforms’ efforts has become a comprehensive avenue for measuring ROI on a campaign-by-campaign basis.
Drive sales and traffic
Adding Generic or Personalized landing pages (GURLs and PURLs) can lead customers to targeted websites and engage them in the next layer of the marketing campaign. Direct mail can also promote your social media or be an attention-grabbing lead for a related email series.
Build better relationships
Using digital-based Variable Data Printing (VDP), you can personalize your mailing to create tailor-made messages. According to a McKinsey study (2021), 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. And 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.
Takeaway
Direct mail and digital marketing are a winning combination.
Case Study
Read more case studies from brands that successfully combine direct mail and digital marketing in our resource guide “Act Now.”
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