The Future of Direct Mail

Some marketing pundits claim that direct mail (the "junk" mail you get in your mail box) is dying, mostly because e-mail marketing is becoming so popular.

We at Sir Speedy love all kinds of marketing, and many of you know that we use direct mail AND e-mail marketing frequently, plus TV and the Internet.

But a recent study shows that direct mail is still one of the best ways to get your message to prospects. The study by the U.S. Postal Service of 1,500 households shows that mail offers a rare opportunity for a marketer to capture the undivided attention of consumers.

InnoMedia conducted more than 35 hours of interviews to determine how consumers engage with their mail and how businesses can reach consumers in a compelling and effective way. Here are some of the key findings from the study:

Mail gets marketing messages immediately into the hands of consumers who are eager to see what's in their mail.

• 98 percent of consumers bring in their mail the day it is delivered, and of these, 72 percent bring it in as soon as possible;
• 77 percent of consumers sort through their mail immediately.

Mail boasts a loyal readership and consumers spend a significant amount of time each day with their mail.

• Consumers spend an average of 30 minutes reading their mail on any occasion.

Mail is useful and consumers are more likely to read it if it helps them perform one of these three household job functions:

• Browsing for new purchases
• Managing the home
• Overseeing finances

Mail evokes emotion among consumers

• 67 percent feel mail is more personal than the Internet;
• 56 percent say receiving mail is a real pleasure;
• 55 percent look forward to discovering the mail they receive.

Mail and the Internet are complementary marketing mediums;

• Consumers browse mail catalogs to assist with online shopping;
• Consumers who receive a company's mail catalog account for 22 percent of the company's web site traffic and 37 percent of the company's e-commerce dollars.

I love this last point. Direct mail isn't neccesarily fighting against e-mail marketing and the Internet. They both can be used in an overall marketing strategy.