Direct Mail in the Marketing Mix

We recently came across an interesting infographic by Royal Mail Market Reach on the use of direct mail in the marketing mix, and it got us thinking about how brilliantly effective direct mail is as a marketing tool. If you’re not using it already, here are some reasons we think you should be adding direct mail to your marketing plans.

Quality & Trust

Print and mail are some of the most trusted pieces of communication because they take time to create and involve costs, meaning there is a high level of quality control. Investing in bespoke print over cheap online alternatives means your brand will ooze trust, doing wonders for your reputation. With some brands, there is a wide audience to tap into, meaning not everyone is going to be in the same place. By factoring direct mail into marketing plans, you can ensure that the full scope of the target audience age range is marketed to.

Print Lasts

Quality print goes a long way – statistics say that direct mail stays in the home for an average of 17 – 45 days! Compare that with the average attention span online of less than 8 seconds, the chances are your print is much more likely to get noticed. Whether or not it’s immediate, the temptation to flick through a beautifully printed piece that sticks around the house for that length of time is going to be hard for the recipient to resist at some point.

Take Timeout

In a world that is constantly switched on and connected, many look for ways to ‘escape’ and ‘switch off’ – this is where direct mail campaigns shine. People are receiving far less post than they do emails, meaning a piece of direct mail is much more likely to be acknowledged. By sending out high-quality printed materials (think brochures, magazines and catalogues) as part of your marketing, you’re giving your audience a reason to take some time out – they’ll appreciate this and in turn, associate that positive experience with your brand.

Getting Personal

If you have access to a customer database, you can use this to your advantage to create personalised direct mail campaigns. When used in print or digital communications, personalisation is proven to increase engagement, response and conversions. Of course, it takes more time, knowledge and preparation but in the long run, the efforts are truly worth it, especially if you are looking to improve conversion rates. From leaflets and catalogues to vouchers and sales letters, these can all be personalised to make them as relevant as possible for the recipient, meaning they are much more likely to convert after receiving your personalised communication.

Print & Digital

No matter how important digital marketing is to a business, there is still a large audience to be reached by direct mail. We would encourage businesses to explore how well these two marketing strands can work together because the statistics associated with receiving a piece of direct mail in the post followed by an online action are impressive…

• 92% are driven to online activity
• 87% are influenced to make online purchases
• 86% connect with a business
• 54% engage with social media
• 43% download something

So, it’s not about choosing print or digital, it’s about making them work together because print isn’t going anywhere for a very long time!

What About GDPR?

As we all know by now, GDPR is all about consent and the processing of personal data, so if an individual has opted in to receive marketing communications from you that’s great news, if not, it’s best not to hold or use their personal data – that way, everyone is happy and you’ll be acting in the appropriate legal manner. If you don’t have access to a GDPR friendly database, some organisations may be interested in exploring the ‘legitimate interest’ route to get their business in front of key targets.

To find out more about GDPR, we advise visiting the ICO website or consulting legal advice.

Get in Touch

At Ashley House, our experienced team can help bring your direct mail campaigns to life by creating print that makes an impact. From campaign management, design, personalised print in a range of outstanding finishes through to fulfilment and posting, we can produce an entire direct mail campaign for a very competitive rate.

Not sure where to start with a direct mail campaign? Get in touch on 01392 202320 or email hello@ashleyhouse.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help!