Print vs. Digital
Popular doesn’t always mean better. We all know that digital channels are popular, and in most cases less expensive than paper, but printed periodicals have actually seen a rise in the past few years. Direct mail has also been overtaking email when it comes to successful marketing tactics.
It’s true, there has been a decline in direct mail volumes over the years. But what that means is that anything that does land in your customer’s mailbox, or on their desk gets attention, especially if it is done well. Direct mail is proactive and tactile — almost insisting that the recipient do something with it. Email rarely ever makes me feel that way, but it does make me want to hit “delete” a lot.
Email’s role in marketing has been changing. Aside from the obvious oversaturation in our inboxes, hijacking by scammers and spammers has contributed to this shift. The 2017 DMA Email Benchmarking Report says that marketing emails are being read some of the time, but as consumers become more cautious, the actual click-through rate has been steadily declining since 2015, when it ranked at 1.8%. The click-through rate lowered even more in 2016 to 1.6%.
This is more proof that marketers should be thinking of an Integrated digital + print marketing strategy if they don’t already do so. There are really good correlations out there between consumers receiving physical mail that was produced with multiple areas of personalization and targeted messaging. This leads to a call to action or being influenced to buy online after receiving the direct mail piece.
Including direct mail in your mix, and having an omnichannel approach will help maximize your ROI from a marketing campaign. For example, a follow-up email can act as a reminder if it is timed right with another printed communication vehicle such as a catalog, or personalized content that your customer requested in the mail. ROI increases when you connect content and messaging that is tailored to your customer as an individual.
According to DM News, 90% of people ages 25-34 find direct mail reliable and 87% like receiving it in the mail. Read: Millennials like the tactile feel of mail. I can talk your ear off about direct mail and how it can help your business. Contact us to learn more.