Top Reasons You Should Still Consider Using Direct Mail Marketing

According to Fundera by NerdWallet, direct mail accounts for roughly $38.5 billion of local advertising expenses in the United States. How could print still make up such a significant amount in marketing and advertising with the rise of social media and web presence? There is actually a science behind it.

When a person physically touches something, it leaves a longer-lasting impression than if they scroll through their newsfeed. Printed stimuli can impact the brain in a way that forms a deeper connection with their memory.

So if you think your marketing should only include your digital assets, think again. Here are some of the top benefits of adding direct mail back into your campaigns.

Lead Generation

For every seven postcards that touch the hands of a local resident, a realtor books at least one showing that could lead to a potential sale. Direct mail is an incredibly effective means of generating leads that wouldn’t necessarily happen online.

For realtors, mailing postcards is one of the most affordable ways to make a sale. This is not only because of the tangible aspect. With direct mail, you can hyper-focus your audience to make sure your information is getting to the right people.

If you’re a realtor sending out real estate postcards, you can map out your campaigns to reach specific geographic areas and personalize them to cater to your ideal client. This includes income levels, purchasing habits, and areas of employment. This goes well beyond simply gathering a name and email address like you would with an email campaign, for example.

Builds Trust With Your Community

One aspect of direct mail marketing that people tend to forget is the level of trust it builds with the audience. Say you are a local coffee shop that has recently opened in the area. You want to offer a free small coffee to your customer when they bring your flyer into your shop for the first time. Not only are you building awareness for your business, but you’re also creating a community once they physically walk through your front doors.

They’ll remember you as the shop that gave them an experience as opposed to a Facebook ad online that may come off as a little spammy. Physical objects a potential customer holds in their hand have a sense of value that only you can provide them with. You can trust someone more that gives you a tangible coupon than someone who is only there to snag your contact information to undoubtedly sign them up for your newsletter.

Cross-Over Marketing

With the high usage of digital marketing, your direct mail initiatives should absolutely be used as a cross-over with all aspects of your marketing strategy. Each tactic should complement the other in some way.

For example, if your business is for a yoga studio, you may want to consider adding a QR code that links them to your social media channels. This allows your new customers to be integrated both in the physical world of your studio as well as within the online community.

It’s also crucial for what is called brand recall. It’s how a customer remembers your business, starting with its name down to what the company stands for. This is huge when it comes to client retention and word-of-mouth referrals as well.

It’s Cost and Time Effective

You’d be surprised at how little it costs to print and ship printed materials these days. It doesn’t require a mass amount of knowledge or design skill to execute this tactic successfully either. With so many freelance designers and copywriters out there, you can easily have your materials created at a fraction of the cost. It can save you both money and time rather than if you were to try and do it yourself.

If you do decide to make these materials yourself, there are several companies that offer free templates to create your own direct mail marketing materials.

Whether you’re in the beginning stages of developing your overall marketing strategy or realizing you need to rework it completely, take a look at how direct mail can effectively change the course for your business.

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