Direct mail isn’t a new idea *but* for a while it’s popularity waned. With so many people online, print and mail marketing seemed to be dying off. People wondered out loud if there was a point in putting money into printed marketing anymore.
Well, we are here to tell you the ROI doesn’t lie, print marketing is red hot in 2025! Used in tandem with a digital campaign, a print campaign can see effectiveness rise by 400%.
Why the increase? It reaches a diverse audience, it stays around and it builds trust. Younger audiences who have always been connected to the internet, don’t see any mail as junk. Postcards, magazines, ads and yes, printed newsletters are so few-and -far between they aren’t registered as something that goes into the recycling right away.
Psychologically people are trusting print more than digital media. If something is tangible, it is seen to be more trustworthy and true. This is why political campaigns are spending more time printing and mailing things to your house.
Here are 6 reasons why mail is hot again and why a direct mail campaign can boost a business’s marketing efforts even more than digital options out there today.
1) Direct mail lives longer. Email can quickly be deleted or lost in the chaos of an inbox. The average lifespan of an email is 17 seconds. BUT the average lifespan of a piece of mail is 17 days. Some consumers spend 30 minutes undistracted going through their mail.
2) Direct mail influences big purchasing decisions: Approximately 88% of big purchasing decisions are made at home, and usually, after consulting with a spouse or partner. Direct mail is a big discussion starter and is easily shareable making it a great way to get referrals from the reader’s friends, neighbors and family.
3) Print mail is easier to understand and is more memorable: It requires more than 20% less cognitive effort to be processed when compared to digital media. This means it’s easier for the reader to process and remember.
4) Print is more trusted than digital: 82% of consumers said they trust print over digital. A study from UCLA showed that physical touch can create a sense of ownership, making people value it more.
5) Print gets greater response rates than digital: 80% of consumers act on direct mail ads and marketing because they trust it. Confidence in others is so low and we are so sure we will be scammed or taken advantage of, we prefer to do business with people we know, like and trust.
6) Favoured amongst Baby Boomers *and* Gen Alpha, it has multi-generational appeal: Up to 90% of direct mail gets opened, compared to only 20-30% of emails. Building brand recognition is key, if you send your newsletter out to email and to mailboxes, you will maximize the eyes on your marketing and that is a great ROI.
Big brands are getting back to traditional direct mail campaigns and we think you should think about it, too. Having a goal of at least two mailings a year with newsletters, postcards, or greeting cards, for example will be a great starting point and you can extend your efforts from there. Clients of ours who are seeing the best results are sending their contacts direct mail monthly or bi-monthly so that they continue to dominate and stand out against their competition.
Direct mail marketing requires an investment in yourself, your brand and your marketing efforts so that you can benefit from being remembered, trusted, and influential in big decisions made inside households. This means that it’s not a good use of your resources and efforts if you do it just once. You need to do it consistently so that your readers are seeing you and remembering you regularly and when they finally need you.
When you have a plan, you’re going to do a better job of keeping yourself accountable and meeting your goals. This means that you need a plan! If you’re ready to add direct mail marketing to your marketing efforts to nurture and grow your connections and relationships, contact us and we can answer any questions you may have – that’s what we do and have been doing for collectively more than 30 years!
If you’ve wanted to print and mail your newsletters and have a contact list of 200-300 addresses, we would love to talk to you about our Club 200 Program.
Who doesn’t like being part of a club? Book a call with us today or email us [email protected]
Footnotes:
https://www.brprinters.com/think-direct-mail-is-dead-think-again/
https://www.datatargetingsolutions.com/
https://youngandprofiting.com/150-go-giver-sales-strategy-with-bob-burg/
