Your ROI is in the Mail

With all the focus on digital marketing these days, you’d be forgiven for assuming that snail mail has gone the way of the dodo. But don’t throw out your stamp collection just yet. This infographic from United Mail has some facts about the ongoing value of direct mail that may surprise you!

The fact is, more people open all of their mail than all of their email. Think about it – how much junk mail do you tend to get in a day? 70-80% of consumers say that they open all of the direct mail, and 79% of them will act on direct mail immediately, versus 45% for emails. 51% of people say that they prefer to get direct mail from local shops, and 48% say the same of banks. In one study, out of a collection of 5000 prospects, there was a 3.4% response rate for direct mail – far higher than the .12% typical of email campaigns.

Omnichannel marketing is the best way to cover all of your bases as a business – and your peers agree. 80% of marketers plan to run cross-channel marketing campaigns in 2014, with 38% planning to use 3 channels and 29% raising the stakes to 4. They’re not wrong – research shows that customers spend 25% more when businesses combine direct and email marketing, with prospects 10-20% more likely to convert on direct mail. Using both approaches boosts brand awareness and recall, and creates a user-friendly customer experience. Many older customers don’t even use email, while many younger ones are savvy enough to block sales messages with inbox filters.

Make your direct mail more appealing:

• Customize and personalize your content, both inside the envelope and outside


• 70% of customers are more likely to open mail with graphics and colours on the front


• Reinforce your message with inserts


• Vary your mailings while still reinforcing your brand image


• Let customers respond to direct mail used web-based services

Make sure your targets are bulls-eyes:

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• Use databases that filter results based on your specific needs


• Develop in-house databases


• Purchase mailing lists to build up your database numbers

Does this infographic get you thinking about snail mail in a new light? Are you already benefiting from omnichannel marketing? Let us know in the comments.

Author: Louis Foong

Louis Foong is the founder and CEO of The ALEA Group Inc., one of North America’s most innovative B2B demand generation specialists. With more than three decades of experience in the field, Louis is a thought leader on trends, best practices and issues concerning marketing and lead generation…. View full profile ›

Your ROI is in the Mail