Direct marketing, mail marketing, tangible marketing – all terms that
seem to have no place among the Facebooks and Google AdWords of the
world. When you think about it, direct marketing has one goal, and that
is to generate tangible, measurable results.
The goal has not changed,
but the processes to achieve that goal have. Here Paul Berman, CEO,
BirthdayPak, discuss why direct marketing is still relevant in today’s
digital society and ways to incorporate it into your online marketing
strategy
Direct marketing, mail marketing, tangible marketing – all terms that seem to have no place among the Facebooks and Google AdWords of the world.
When you think about it, direct marketing has one goal, and that
is to generate tangible, measurable results. The goal has not changed,
but the processes to achieve that goal have.
In the modern internet age, the market for companies to gain exposure through email is becoming over-saturated.
Statistics show that in 2017 emails only had a 24.7% open rate. On
the converse, 98% of consumers bring in their mail the day it is
delivered, and of those individuals, 77% will sort through the mail
immediately. Studies have also shown that 80-90% of individuals will
open direct mail. If you are not using direct mail in this digital
world, you risk missing out on 63% of your consumers.
Direct mail is the old tried-and-true, and when overlaid with a
technologically sophisticated, targeted marketing approach, direct mail
can be even more effective, relevant and timely. Unlike digital
marketing, direct mail has one of the biggest impacts because it offers a
hands-on experience for customers.
While direct mail has a resounding success rate, it is important to
use it in conjunction with email as it creates a stronger brand
experience for consumers. .
One of the strengths that is attributed to online marketing is the
ability for precise, targeted data. The same is true of direct mail
marketing. With sophisticated technology, marketers can mail to specific
targeted consumers to create effective, relevant and timely tangible
experiences between the consumer and the brand. .
Further, to increase
the experience, the piece of direct mail will have a call to action for
the consumer to explore online, inviting the consumer to interact with
the brand once again in the digital space.
Recently, marketing took a hit when privacy concerns regarding online
marketing come into the spotlight. With privacy concerns wreaking havoc
online, marketers are having to turn to tried and true traditional
methods.
Direct mail is a great opportunity to reach targeted consumers
using appropriate data to effectively engage them. It also gives them
the opportunity to opt out, whereas those Internet ads showing a product
you just talked to your friend about, are a little more difficult to
escape.
In today’s heavily digital world, it is important for marketers
to remember that online marketing cannot do it alone. For a successful
campaign, marketers must combine direct mail and online marketing
efforts, which in turn achieves higher brand awareness and recall and
increases ROI.
