If I were the gambling type, I would bet that the majority of consumers believe direct mail campaigns are irrelevant in today’s age, and to boot a waste of a marketer’s time and money. Is that really the truth though?

The thought that direct mail is or should be a thing of the past is a naïve one at best. There are still numerous reasons why direct mail campaigns are not only relevant, but successful in the world of marketing. Let’s take a look at some of the common statements you would hear from the direct mail naysayers and demonstrate why this method is still significant.

With today’s rapid growth of social media and internet advertising, why do marketers even bother with direct mail campaigns?

Some suggest that social media will eventually replace direct mail for the preferred method of advertising. While that may prove to be true, this does not mean that direct mail is dead either. A piece of direct mail may actually stand out from the influx of social media posts and advertisements.

Even though we are living in a world full of digital marketing, we must not forget the physical. Direct mail pieces are tangible, you can touch and feel them, personalize them, keep them around for later use or reference – all features that digital marketing can't offer.

I pay no attention to all this “junk mail.”

All of us recognize a credit card “pre-approved” application mailer, a fundraising letter from a local charity, or coupon package. Therefore, when you say you don’t pay attention, you do. You know what the marketer wants and likely what their message is, however, you may not choose to open it. Just because you didn’t open or fully read through the contents, doesn’t mean you don’t pay attention. You may just be ignoring it – for now. If anything, digital junk mail and spam is disregarded more by consumers than physical “junk mail.”

Internet and social media marketing reach more consumers, therefore increasing revenue.  

In theory maybe, but how can that be proved? The difficulty with internet and social media marketing is measuring their return on investment. Marketers cannot always measure digital marketing in terms of revenue. Yes, more people may see your message, but how do you know which consumers saw your ad and then purchased a product or service from you? Without asking every single consumer, digital advertising is tough to track and measure.

With direct mail marketing, you have an archived list of who you sent the mailer to. So, let’s say a hair salon sends out a coupon to prospective clients in the local area for $10 off their first appointment. When that coupon is utilized, the salon can then record that data, know who took advantage of the offer, how many new customers were gained, and how much additional revenue was generated from that particular mailer. Measuring return on investment with direct mail campaigns is much easier than with any digital form of advertisement.

Don’t get us wrong here; we are in no way bashing digital marketing. We believe that any successful marketing campaign should be well rounded and utilize both online and offline strategies. The use of both is a great way to boost any campaign. We are just simply saying not to rule out direct mailers as a method of marketing. They’re much more valuable than you think.

If you’re thinking about putting together a direct mail campaign, Avalon can help. Give us a call.