5 Reasons Why Direct Mail Isn’t Dead

As a digital presence becomes increasingly the norm today, it might be easy to overlook the impact of a traditional marketing method like direct mail can have on your potential home buyers. But savvy marketers should rethink direct mail as a critical part of their marketing strategy. A multimedia marketing campaign — using both digital and physical components — can maximize your reach and impact while rising above the noise.

Here are five reasons why direct mail isn’t dead.

1. It offers the best of both worlds

Getting the perfect mix of digital and physical media can be a challenge, but the most successful campaigns include both. A Canada Post neuroscience study called “Connecting for Action” found that multimedia campaigns garner 39 percent more attention than single-medium campaigns.

Additionally, a recent study by neuroscience experts at Ipsos found that when following up an email with a direct mail piece, brand recall is 40 percent higher than other single and integrated media campaigns.

2. It lets readers call the shots

When your target audience receives your direct mail piece, they can process your message at their own pace, allowing them to choose when and where they engage with you. The Canada Post study revealed that readers spent an average of 37 seconds with the direct mail piece on their first exposure to it. Considering that consumers’ attention span has shrunk from 12 seconds to eight seconds (per the same study), that’s remarkable engagement.

3. If done right, it’s smart technology

Direct mail can be just as savvy and modern as digital ads. First, combined with your CRM databases, recipients can be segmented for highly targeted messages. Second, direct mail that integrates UTM-tracked links (showcased through a vanity URL to keep things tidy) allows readers to immediately launch a website, video, home tour or other interactive experiences — and lets you track how many engaged with your marketing. Finally, direct mail that integrates phone number tracking and unique email aliases is also a win for analytics and attribution.

4. It’s an easy way to reach out

Direct mail is a versatile medium — it can be a letter, postcard, catalog, brochure and more — and therefore an ideal way to reconnect with past customers. A study conducted by Frank Romano of the Rochester Institute for Technology and digital printing expert David Broudy found that when direct mails included full-color printing and personalized database information, response rates increased by a stunning 500 percent — over the industry standard of 1 percent — versus not doing those things.

5. It works

The Ipsos study also showed that when direct mail is part of a multimedia campaign, consumers are more engaged: The direct mail piece grabs more attention, sparks more action and generates more brand recall than campaigns that only use a single medium of communication.

The Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2017 found that nearly one in five new construction shoppers (19 percent) uses direct mail to find their home.

Home shoppers are on multiple platforms; you should be too. Combining physical and digital media is the perfect way to reach and engage more buyers.