When the city of Metropolis is in need of rescue from tyranny and trouble, their hero comes flying in to save. Surprisingly, however, it seems that often Metropolis’ citizens failed to recognize their airborne rescuer. “It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s….Superman!” Like Superman, direct mail is often an unrecognized and unsung hero. With the rise of digital and social media marketing, many underestimate the strength of direct mail marketing. To draw attention back to direct mail’s effectiveness, here are five facts compiled about direct mail you’re sure to find shocking.

1. 44% of people visit a company’s website when engaging with a mail piece

If you’ve ever wondered, “Would direct mail fit into our more ‘modern’ marketing style?”, the answer is a resounding, “YES.” In fact, direct mail can be one of the best ways of boosting traffic to your other digital traffic. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) asserts that of those who interact with a mail piece, 44 percent visit the website of the company. With this additional channel, direct mail can provide a significant flow of customers to your website.

2. Direct mail’s “lifespan” is longer than other marketing mediums

Every morning when roll over to turn off my alarm, I habitually breeze through my email notifications. Within thirty seconds I have deleted 95 percent of those emails, only intending to read a few of them. Like mentioned in another helpful article about direct mail, mail pieces are not only viewed more, but they are held on to longer. In my car glove compartment, you’ll find several discounts for local restaurants and retailers. Where social media posts quickly get buried in new information and emails thoughtlessly deleted, direct mail makes a more lasting impression.

3. Direct mail response rates are at the highest point in the last decade

Some things just work. Direct mail has been a form of marketing used for much of recorded history. Even with the entrance of new marketing technology, like TV, radio, and email, direct mail continues to grow in effectiveness. To date, research shows direct mail response rates are the highest they have been in the last decade.

4. Millennials enjoy personalized content in the mail, in fact, 95% respond positively

While the rising generations are fully-integrated into the digital world, they are still responsive to direct mail efforts. With the endless “pings,” “dings,” and “rings” from millennial phones and computers, 36 percent of people under the age of thirty admit to enjoying checking their mailboxes, and 95 percent respond positively to personalized cards and letters. Direct mail is still an effective way to tap into this generations $1.4 trillion spending power.

5. Response rates for direct mail are 10-30x that of digital marketing

I don’t mean to rub salt in the wound (okay, I might a little), but according to DMA, direct mail towers over digital channels in response rates. When compared to email marketing with a 0.12 percent response rate, direct mail works in a much less-cluttered channel, boasting a 4.4 percent response rate. This means that if you send 100 mail pieces, between four and five individuals will actually respond.

While direct mail has been the hero of the marketing world for countless years, many marketers are out of touch with this effective channel. While ANS has learned to thrive in the changing digital landscape, we have remained an expert in our roots, direct mail. If you’d like to see if direct mail can “save the day” for your next campaign or event, please contact one of our direct mail specialists today.