Digital marketing is enjoying explosive growth with social media and email marketing offering marketing channels that require little equipment or investment. Marketers can be fooled into thinking that direct mail is dead and that digital marketing offers a low-cost silver bullet.
It’s true that there are challenges facing direct mail, but its time in the sun is far from over. Here are the three most pressing challenges and what you can do to overcome them:
Cost
The increase in postage rates is creating a higher overall cost to initiate direct mail campaigns. But that shouldn’t stop marketers from using direct mail. Instead, they need to develop innovative campaigns with a clear demonstration of the return on investment. It’s important to understand clients, their target markets, and include tracking capabilities in the campaign. Printers need to create transparency and be ready with statistics that prove the effectiveness of the mail campaign.
Digital Dominance
Some marketers are seeing digital marketing as a replacement for direct mail, but printers shouldn’t be afraid of digital options. Instead, digital can be an ideal partner for direct mail campaigns. Both digital and direct mail marketing isn't as effective without their counterparts, so rather than maligning digital channels, make them a part of your offering. It will position you as a more innovative marketing resource, giving you a competitive edge in your market.
Fear of the Boogeyman
Too many printers have lost faith that direct mail is effective. It’s one of the biggest misconceptions in the marketing industry. It’s true that bad direct mail is ineffective, just like the worst of any format is ineffective. For instance, direct mail isn’t going to be effective for every type of business, so you need to make sure it’s a tool that’s carrying out your specific goals.
Direct mail has distinct advantages. Case in point: it’s the only medium where you can guarantee that your target will receive your message. They will touch it, carrying it into the house and sorting it into stacks based on their interest. If you’re accurately targeting your audience, your piece of direct mail will be in the pile for action or consideration.
The Solution
Direct mail remains a valuable tool in your marketing strategy. With reliable data, dedicated landing pages tied to each direct mail campaign, and a highly targeted message, you can demonstrate a robust return on investment for your campaigns. As part of a hybrid strategy that involves both digital and traditional marketing formats, direct mail is a reliable way to connect with your audience.
Contact DirectMail.io for more information about direct mail as a part of a comprehensive automated marketing program.
