A (New) Case For Direct Mail

by Steve Fodor

Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, you’ve experienced the explosion of e-mail and mobile marketing. It’s revolutionized marketers’ abilities to cost-efficiently communicate with more customers, create conversations and engage with a brand’s target audience.

But, to quote an old cliché, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you see every problem as a nail.”

I still love direct mail for what it can do…and for what e-mail and mobile marketing cannot do (yet, anyway.)

Here are a few (and certainly by no means all) considerations for making direct mail part of your marketing mix:

· Recipients can take more time. How aggravating is it to open an e-mail and see that it’s a l-o-n-g one? If you have a technical or highly involved sale, direct mail can deliver a “complex” story in a more passive environment than an e-mail in-box. Adding a personalized letter with related elements (brochure, white paper, DVD, etc.) can increase readership as much as 45%.

· Credibility. Spam has made even so-called “junk” mail from the post office more credible. Privacy issues and fear of opening or responding are less prevalent with direct mail. Credibility is vital if you’re marketing a high-end/high-ticket product.

· Human beings are tactile creatures. Direct mail allows you to touch, feel and interact with the medium. Paper stocks and certain type fonts can create a “feeling,” or ambience, for your brand. Adding a dimensional feature to direct mail can elevate its perceived importance. You’re curious to see if there’s something “good” in there. This can be especially relevant if your selling proposition is based on emotional appeal. And the more senses we humans use to process information, the more likely we are to remember that information.

I could go on and on about the pros and cons of direct mail vs. e-mail. The point is, think about what you’re selling, the brand impression you need to make and what you require from a medium to deliver your message in a creative and memorable way. Let that drive your media selection. Not just cost per exposure.

Send me an e-mail if you agree.

Flickr Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerbooktrance/