The question is posed to me daily, “Does direct mail still work?” As 17-year veterans of the Direct Marketing industry at American Name Services, we have seen an ebb and flow in response rates over the last ten years.

Here are three factors that have recently created an increase in response rates:

• Total pieces in the mail have decreased in the past 5 years. As a result of a sluggish economy, most businesses tightened their budgets. Marketers are mailing less.  Additionally, when the credit card companies tightened lending qualifications, it greatly reduced the offers of credit being mailed. When there is less mail in the mailboxes, more time is taken to go through what IS there.

• Digital Marketing has increased the ability to reach and sell to customers, thus providing an additional avenue for messages to be received. Reinforcing advertising through multiple channels develops a stronger reputation for the mailer.

• Traditional, Direct Mail Marketing provided the ability to reach a large audience in the home or business.   As technology continues to improve the ability to know more about your customers and targeting them accordingly, the success of the campaigns increase.

Targeted Direct Mail and Multi-channel marketing are two examples of how Marketers today are getting smarter about what they put in the mail, creating relevancy and a higher ROI. As you plan your next Campaign, remember to take into account a customer’s emotional response and trust generated when holding a physical offer in hand.

 

To learn more about Direct Mail and Multi-Channel Marketing, contact writer, Patti Thompson at (800) 434-1851 or via email at pthompson@a-names.com.