Bringing in New Customers with Direct Mail: The Ultimate Guide

Direct mail used to be the way to go, but social media opened the door to digital marketing and changed everything. If you are a marketer, you might think that direct mail is a thing of the past—a waste of time, paper, and money.

But you would be wrong. Direct mail is not dead. In fact, there is solid evidence that consumers actually respond more to direct mail marketing than they do to online ads and email campaigns alone.

Let’s face it — we are inundated with all things digital, and this includes digital marketing. No matter where we go on the internet, there are ads for every conceivable product and service. According to various online sources, consumers might see anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 ads every day. Is it any wonder consumers go numb to them, seeing them only as a necessary inconvenience on the way to getting to the content they are looking for? It’s just plain overwhelming, and often pretty annoying.

Consumers today feel more valued with direct mail. While consumers feel overwhelmed by the onslaught of digital ads, these days receiving a print piece sends a more personal message. A company has taken the time to craft their messaging using real ink and actual paper and has spent money on postage.

With so much information out there, consumers are wary of what they see on social media, while an actual printed piece of mail has a built-in trust factor. Direct mail is attention-grabbing and somehow more “believable” than cyber ads. Because the volume of physical mail has decreased substantially over the years, a printed piece is once again valued and even trusted by consumers. This can help create a more believable brand identity for a company.

Digital marketing is here to stay — and when used creatively and effectively, it’s an awesome tool. But for a complete marketing strategy, using digital marketing AND direct mail makes for the most effective combination. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why:

1. Direct mail allows you to target particular audiences not easily reached online.
2. Direct mail allows you to target customers in specific geographic areas. Even without knowing their addresses, with EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail), you can get the word out to neighborhoods and communities to the areas you’d like to reach. EDDM is a bulk mail service offered by the US Postal Service that helps you build interest and traffic, reach new customers, reduce mail preparation costs, and potentially increase revenue. Postcards and newsletters (flat EDDM mailers) and brochures (folded EDDM mailers) are popular choices. Check out our O’Neil Direct EDDM platform for more information on how you can connect with your target audience(s).
3. Digital marketing is a great follow-up strategy. Once you’ve sent out a direct mailing, you can follow up in a week or two with an email to all your current recipients. You can add a QR code to your direct mail piece, which will allow potential customers to learn more about your products or services online, perhaps with a short video. You can also provide a coupon code that interested recipients can redeem online.

The bottom line is that if you’re looking to improve your market reach, it makes sense to consider adding direct mail to your existing digital marketing strategy. A well-designed, eye-catching, good quality print piece can enhance PPC ads and other forms of online marketing, making you stand out in a crowded digital space.

Try our O’Neil Direct EDDM platform or contact us today to discover how adding direct mail to your marketing strategy can take your business to the next level!