In the email era is it really worth maintaining that direct mail campaign budget? The world may have moved to emails but marketers are not about to give up on the snail mail anytime soon. In fact, if the trends are anything to go by, then businesses will continue to include direct mailing campaigns into their marketing mixes for a long time to come. Direct mailing campaigns are costlier than email marketing and slower, too. But that both business owners and marketers are in no hurry to ditch it makes it clear that direct mailing has some potent marketing benefits. 

Direct Mail Campaigns are Perceived to be More Personal

You may shoot out templatized letters with generic messages, but direct mailing campaigns can still have the warmth of personal touch that emails lack. This perception exists with marketers and consumers and stems from the memories of those days when we still had the time to sit down and pen our personal thoughts to friends and loved ones. Remember feeling the wave of joy that passed over you every time you received a letter from a favorite relative or friend who lived far away? Direct mailing campaigns are successful because they manage to whet these feelings in the receiver; receivers of the letters almost feel as if they have been singled out for special attention.

Direct Mail Campaigns Can Give a Feel/Taste of the Product to Customers

For some businesses that is. This is another unique advantage of direct mailing campaigns over email marketing and one that can be exploited to a hilt by manufacturers of those products that can be tucked into an envelope and dispatched without spilling out of and/or soiling the mailmans bag, trunk, or car. So if you manufacture or retail products like cosmetics and stationery, you can send your customersboth present and prospectivesamples of your offerings. This is probably one of the most potent forms of advertising where you can give your customers the real feel or taste of your products.

Direct Mail Campaigns can be Integrated into a Digital Marketing Strategy

For example you can insert a QR code into your letter. When your customer scans the QR code they will taken directly to your website, campaign landing page or Facebook page. This integration will provide some measurement of the efficacy of your direct mailing campaig. Eliciting response and driving more traffic to your website and social media channels are positives from this integration.

Summary

The fact is direct mail letters are holding on for dear life even as email has taken hold as the favored mode of communication. Direct mailing your select campaigns still has certain advantages that emails can never emulate.