Direct Mail – Is It Making A Comeback?

February 01, 2012

New studies show that response rates following direct mail are steadily growing. Although a few years back, direct mail marketers shifted their focus from mail to email campaigns, knowledgeable marketers have now reinventing effective use of direct mail and allocating significant budgets to go back to an age old marketing favorite. Great results and a great deal of attention have followed, while response rates are doubling and even tripling. Judging from these observations, it is generally safe enough to say that direct mail is indeed making a comeback.

Direct mail volumes are significantly increasing again after a few slow years and important marketing and selling opportunities have emerged as a result. Direct mail is different, creative and engaging, which makes it stand out in a stack of mail. Consumers are getting bombarded with thousands of marketing messages per day through email, radio, TV and online and it has become an environment of “noise” for most ignoring them and becoming immune.

With technology, direct mail has evolved to new levels. In recent years the addition of QR Codes, Personal URL’s and dynamic printing capabilities has allowed direct mail to advance. You can now track, more than ever, your prospects and get them engaged from the moment they receive their mail.

Also with new technology, such as www.icimo.com (a strategic partner of The Marketing Machine), profiling and targeting your ideal customer is easier than ever. With data analysis, tactics and strategic planning, direct mail gets “kicked up a notch” to really ensure a return on investment.  Advanced criteria are used to go beyond age and income, and focus even further, on purchasing activity, charitable giving records, personal interests and general lifestyle.

While emails are deleted or disregarded with an easy click, everyone at the end of the day checks their mailbox where messages cannot be ignored. With proper strategy and execution, the ROI on direct mail can be invaluable.