Does Direct Mail Marketing Still Work in 2024?

Have you checked your mailbox today? Not your email inbox, but your actual mailbox. As a marketer, the idea of using postcards, flyers, and catalogs might make you wonder: How has the century-old method of direct mail marketing survived the digital age? Well, it not only has survived, it thrives.

According to Statista, direct mail annual ad revenues in the United States will reach almost 13.2 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2023. Moreover, in 2022, all of the world’s top 10 direct mail advertising companies by market share were based in the U.S. With such substantial figures, it’s hard to ignore its importance.

If you’re interested in incorporating this strategy into your marketing campaign, keep on reading. We’ll be discussing the available options in 2024 with tips on building a successful strategy, and how automation can streamline processes, minimize costs, and save valuable time and effort.

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What Is Direct Mail Marketing?

Direct mail marketing is an offline marketing strategy that involves sending physical advertising materials through the mail. It can be printed mailers, packages, perishable items, corporate swag, or other. It works in both B2C and B2B selling, although it’s most common with household consumers.

You might picture sending direct mails as tiring and time-consuming physical labor. But you’d be mistaken. Nowadays, there are plenty of options to automate it on a larger scale, speeding up the process.

Is Direct Mail Marketing Relevant in 2024?

The short answer is: Yes. People enjoy receiving mail in their mailboxes and more often than not pay attention to it. For instance, 62% of millennials in the U.S. enjoy reviewing the contents of their post boxes rather than discarding them outright.

Direct mailing should not be viewed as a replacement for digital marketing, but rather as an additional channel that can complement your overall marketing strategy.

While digital marketing is undoubtedly more important, incorporating direct mail can make it easier for customers to discover your online presence as well. According to a survey published in July 2023, about 53% of the responding consumers aged 18 to 34 said that, after receiving direct mail, they searched for the brand online. For respondents aged 35 and above, however, the most common response was to visit the brand’s website.

The Benefits of Direct Mail Marketing

Here are five compelling reasons to include direct mail in your marketing mix.

1. Direct mail is an owned marketing channel. This becomes invaluable in times when marketers lack ownership and direct access to their customers and their data on most digital platforms.
2. There is less competition. Today, customers are bombarded with digital ads and don’t expect to receive direct mail as they had in the past. This is beneficial because it provides you with an opportunity to capture their attention in a less crowded environment.
3. It has higher response rates. Direct mail marketing has a higher response rate than email marketing, making it an effective way to reach customers.
4. It’s personal. Direct mail allows personalization and customization of promotions to meet specific needs.
5. It raises the awareness for your brand. Direct mail can be used to create a positive brand image, cross selling to existing customers, building brand loyalty, and increasing repeat orders.

Types of Direct Mail

In 2023 catalogs and magazines were the favorite direct mailing formats among U.S. consumers. These formats are more useful for brands with a large number of stock-keeping units (SKUs) like the home goods industry. That said,there are other types of mailers, each one has its own purpose.

 

Postcards

Postcards are a popular form of direct mail marketing. They are cost-effective, quick to produce, and eye-catching. They are also highly customizable as you can send personal notes, even handwritten ones. The only problem with postcards is their limited space, which necessitates short and clear messaging.

Pamphlets and Brochures

The only downside of pamphlets and brochures is that they may seem old-fashioned and a bit boring. Therefore, creativity is a must when using them in your campaign. You can experiment with interesting folds, clever messages, gamification elements, scannable codes, and more.

Flyers

Flyers or one-pagers are useful when you need to provide more information than can fit in a postcard. However, you have to remember to not overstuffed them with information in order to ensure their effectiveness.

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5 Tips for Creating a Direct Mail Marketing Strategy

Building an effective direct mailing strategy may seem challenging initially, but thoughtful preparation and coordination will make your efforts rewarding.

Follow these eight steps to create a marketing strategy that generates solid results:

1. Include direct mail throughout the customer journey. Touchpoints across the sales funnel and customer journey should incorporate direct mail and gifts alongside digital efforts. For example, send a top-of-funnel prospect who downloads an ebook a gift to strengthen the new connection and raise awareness.
2. Segment audiences. Tailor your mail like you do your content, ads, and events – base them on the prospect’s buying stage and campaign goals.
3. Use an automation platform. With the right solution, you can efficiently source, store, ship, and measure ROI.
4. Set up integrations. Choose a platform that integrates with your existing tech stack. Then automate gifting and direct mail through triggers.
5. Set benchmarks. Define what makes your strategy successful, like an increase in meetings booked or response rates. Documented goals drive achievable outcomes.

How to Send Direct Mail in 2024?

Choose Direct Mail Marketing Software

Direct mail marketing software is a tool that helps you plan, execute, and monitor your offline marketing efforts. It helps you streamline and automate your processes, and understand the ROI of your physical mail marketing campaigns.

The main components of such software include asset creation tools, mailing list management and segmentation, and even postage and handling logistics. Here are 5 examples:

Postal. This software is best for creating custom-branded swag and offers an extensive catalog of premium gifts that can help businesses forge enduring bonds with their audience
Alyce. Alyce excels in managing outbound B2B gifting. It allows you to add that personal touch to your marketing strategy making it remarkable.
PostGrid. Post Grid is best to connect with your tech stack via REST API. It allows you to create, send, automate, and track transactional mail, marketing mail, personalized letters, postcards, and checks.
PebblePost. This software mixes direct mail marketing with digital insights. It allows you to engage decision-ready audiences and measure performance across all points of sale with address-level accuracy using Programmatic Direct Mail.
Postie. Postie provides a friendly experience for digital marketers. It allows you to run powerful direct mail campaigns just like you run digital ads with the push of a button.

Integrate Your Marketing Platform with Your Direct Mail Automation Software

Integrating your marketing automation platform such as Klavyo with direct mail software to strengthen client connections and target your campaigns across multiple channels.

Here are some examples such integrations:

1. Inkit. Inkit is a direct mail automation platform that offers a range of services including personalized printing, mailing, and fulfillment. It integrates with popular marketing automation platforms such as HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce, and Pardot.
2. PFL. PFL offers personalized printing, mailing, and fulfillment. It integrates with popular marketing automation platforms such as Marketo, Salesforce, Eloqua, and HubSpot.
3. Postalytics. Postalytics provides options including personalized printing, mailing, and fulfillment. It integrates with popular marketing automation platforms such as HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce, and Pardot.
4. Sendoso. Sendoso offers printing, mailing, and fulfillment. It integrates with popular marketing automation platforms such as Marketo, Salesforce, Eloqua, and HubSpot.
5. DirectMail.io. DirectMail.io integrates with popular marketing automation platforms such as Marketo and Salesforce.

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Wrap Up

Direct mail marketing continues to endure and thrive even in the digital age, proving its effectiveness as a marketing channel. By leveraging automation software, you can integrate direct mailing into your overall marketing strategy.

This traditional marketing strategy also serves as a valuable complement to digital efforts, boosting brand awareness and driving higher response rates. Use its power to enhance your marketing initiatives and achieve greater success in reaching your audience.