Digital marketing for any business is critical. Many companies, however, fail to include direct mail marketing in their digital marketing. There are many reasons why combining these two forms of marketing will keep companies ahead of their competition.
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Draws to Direct Mail
With a direct mail marketing service, the advertisement is tangible. Consumers see, touch, and feel custom cards, oversized formats, and brilliant graphics. Mailboxes are less competitive than online ad space, and consumers will notice a piece of tangible mail. Digital marketing and direct mail marketing don’t have to work against each other. They can work together beautifully to increase sales.
Marketing Through Repetition
Typically ads need to reach a person between 7 and 20 times before they take action. Direct mail campaigns seem to be most successful after at least three mailings to someone. By using both direct mail and digital ads to the same people, marketers will be able to have more frequency in their message at a much lower cost than sending out more mailings.
Print and digital marketing come to people at different times of the day. Someone reading their newspaper with breakfast will see a printed ad. When they are at work, they may glance at an ad while doing research online. Later in the day, they may see websites on social media. While it’s impossible to know which place is finally the winner, having consistent digital and print ads will improve the chances of one of them working.
More Effective, Creative, and Impactful
Direct mail marketing may not always be a business’s first choice, but it is effective. Mailings do not need to just be paper coupons or flyers. Mailings can come in custom perforations and die cut, plastic postcards. Companies may choose envelope mailers, menu mailers, or tri-fold mailers. Some marketing companies even send out gifts in the mailing to sweeten the deal.
Research from the United States Postal Service found that direct mail advertisements had more impact than digital ads. Consumers spent more time with real mail and remembered them for longer. Physical ads also produced more emotional responses than digital ads.
Longer Lasting
Email marketing may be more efficient and convenient, but it doesn’t have sticking power. With marketing and advertising, the goal is to get things to stay in consumers’ minds. Email doesn’t last as long as real mail, and emails aren’t always read. Studies show that people kept paper marketing for an average of 17 days, while email marketing received only two to three-second views.
Use Direct Mail to Drive Consumers to the Web
One great strategy for combining digital marketing with direct mail marketing is by making printed material that encourages the audience to go to an online destination. Creating a call to action in the direct mail ad can entice customers to visit the company’s website or social media account. Some marketers include a QR code for consumers to scan or list a promo code and the URL to the page they can use it. Variable data printing can ensure that each person gets a different code. Direct mail and social media are also a perfect match.
Digital marketing is a great way to reach people. But combining digital marketing with direct mail marketing is one of the best ways to reach consumers and stay ahead of competitors.
