There’s talk in the marketing and advertising community that e-mail marketing is slowly becoming more and more obsolete… So, if e-mail marketing is truly a thing of the past, what about direct mail marketing? Many people claim that this strategy is ancient and not as effective as other advertising and marketing techniques such as digital ads and PPC.
This, however, is not true at all; both direct mail marketing and email marketing can prove to be very effective if utilized correctly. Let’s focus on direct mail for now since most people consider snail mail irrelevant in these modern times of speedy communication and technological advancement.
What are the Benefits of Direct Mail Marketing?
In this strategy, a marketer sends a printed newsletter or booklet to a prospective customer’s physical address. The process involves designing the ad, printing it, and then mailing it to the prospect. Most marketers would love to avoid the hassle but this form of marketing has several benefits, including:
- Direct Communication – This is the most direct form of communication after personal meetings and telephone calls. Your ad content reaches the customer’s personal address via their mailbox. Most customers will glance at it at least once when sorting their daily mail.
Additionally, they don’t have a handy delete button that allows them to discard the mail without opening it, and they can’t block mail to their house as they can with phone calls. While some people might choose to discard the direct mail without opening it, many people will take a few seconds to glance over the content.
- Spam Filters – The best aspect about direct mail is the lack of spam filters. Advertisers need not worry about those tricky filters and are able to simply send a piece of mail that conveys everything they want to get across to their targeted consumers. This is a relief for most advertisers as their efforts aren’t wasted with their mail ending up in a spam folder.
- Personal – There’s something very nostalgic about old-school mail and newsletters. They add a personal touch to your interaction with the customer and can help to build trust between the potential client and the company.
While direct mail marketing isn’t easy to successfully implement or execute, it is not a strategy you can afford to ignore. After all, in this day and age, companies need to be on the look out for as many different ways to stand out amongst competitors, and if done properly, this can be a great way to do it.
If you have any questions about direct mail or want to try our services at ESB Advertising, give us a call at 703-988-2307 or fill in a contact us form!
