The power of direct mail and what it can do for your business.
Posted by James, 20 August 2021 (4 minute read)
In this technological age of social media and digital marketing, direct mail can often feel a bit outdated. And traditional letters in envelopes posted through the door certainly come across as a little twee in this modern world of online advertising.
Detractors regularly label direct mail both expensive and time-consuming. But the raw data tells a different story. So in this week’s JW’s Thoughts of a Copywriter, I’m talking about the power of direct mail and what it can do for your business.
What is direct mail?
Direct mail is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – mail sent directly to your customers. And the purpose of direct mail depends entirely on what kind of customer you’re sending it to. For example, if you’re after new customers your direct mail will look and read very differently to anything sent to entice existing ones to upgrade or buy a new product from your range.
Direct mail has lots of advantages, which are explored below. But it’s only right to point out a couple of things that work against it too:
- Cost. The cost of direct mail certainly outweighs most forms of online marketing. As a business, you’ll be looking at production costs (including copywriters, designers, etc.), as well as the price of distribution.
- Time. Sending direct mail is generally more time-consuming than using online advertising.
The power of direct mail
Although ‘cost’ and ‘time’ are two things most businesses are looking to reduce, I happen to think that direct mail has too many advantages to ignore. And this isn’t just my opinion. The stats bear it out too, as recent studies indicate that up to 77% of us prefer receiving direct mail to other forms of advertising.
So here’s three ways direct mail could be a real boost for your business!
1. The format
Unlike online advertising – which can feel impersonal and easy to ignore – direct mail has the power to communicate directly with your target market. And despite online communication being predominant in our culture these days, a letter is still very appealing. This makes direct mail a real winner for small and medium sized businesses: especially those who promote themselves using family appeal or even individual attention.
With online advertising, it’s easy to scroll past it – or not click on it. With direct mail, the customer at the very least picks it up from the doormat or their mailbox, whether they open it or not.
And even if they take it to the recycling bin immediately, they’ve still got your direct mail in their hand. Here, you can really make those few seconds count with a bit of clever copy on either side of the envelope. For example, take a look at this from BT, where the words ‘Dive into a world of entertainment’ are solely designed to get you to open that envelope!
2. Direct mail has a higher ROI than you might think
Many businesses ignore direct mail because they think it has a low ROI (return on investment). But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Direct mail actually has a pretty high ROI median. One study put it third with 29% direct response rate – with only email (124%) and social media marketing (30%) higher. And because direct mail is less common than both email and social media marketing, you really could use this to your advantage and help your business grow.
3. Direct mail is much harder to forget about
Unlike email marketing – which can often get lost in a sea of other online data – direct mail is much harder to forget. A great example of this is in the food industry. If you’ve got direct mail with a ‘£10 off your next online order’ coupon, potential customers often stick it to the fridge or leave it on their coffee table. So when they next want a takeaway, the direct mail is likely to make their choice for them. They’ll buy from your business because of the direct mail advertising – advertising you might actually have sent several weeks earlier.
This direct mail technique can easily be transferred to other businesses and sectors, including health and beauty, building and construction, or clothing.
It’s time to harness the power of direct mail and see what it can do for your business today!
And if you need a copywriter to provide the words for your next direct mail campaign, get in touch. Take a look at my direct mail services and then contact me here – I aim to respond within 24 hours. You can also message me directly on Twitter (@JWCopywriting) or over on my Facebook page.
In two weeks, it’s 20 more inspirational copywriting quotes from the best copywriters.
Until then,
JW