Is Direct Mail Dead? Not even a little bit, actually.

Statistics that May Surprise You

Beasley Direct, a large marketing agency, quotes from the *Marketing Association 2017 Statistical Fact Book:

  • The fraction of households who discard print ads immediately is lower now than in the 1980s, averaging about 6%. This is true of recipients of all ages.
  • The fraction of households who read print ads immediately has increased for most age groups, to an average of about 45%.
  • The fraction who find direct marketing ads useful has increased for high-income households and for ages 18-21. More than 62% of the younger crowd read print ads immediately!
  • Return on Investment is high, with an average of $12.57 in sales for each $1 spent on print!

Compu-Mail, a Nationwide marketing agency, also has some statistics ** for print ads. For instance, 73% of consumers prefer mail to other ad types. 40% of consumers will try a new business in response to direct mail. On average, readers spend 30 minutes with catalogs and 25 minutes with other forms of print. And finally, nearly half, (48%) keep some for future reference.

In case you’re skeptical that all this is biased (since these companies want to promote direct marketing), a Marketing Charts poll on Americans’ feelings about receiving direct mail*** showed similar positive feedback. The poll found that 46% of adults said they’d be likely to have a positive response to a mailed catalog. 30% said the same about a letter from a business. As for who stated they felt neutral, the numbers are 70% for catalogs and 64% for letters.

Marketing Still Matters

With the above in mind, think about your marketing strategy. Are you sending out mail to reach customers or potential customers? More studies have found that mailings become even more effective with a well-designed marketing strategy. So, be sure to reach out to the same customer multiple times. Follow up by phone, and even in person. For more tips and tricks on ads and mailings, call the experts here at West Chicago Printing for a consultation or to start a project!

West Chicago Printing Company

Design. Print. Mail.

630.293.0500

Sources:

*https://beasleydirect.com/blog//

** http://compu-mail.com/blog/2014/07/17/25-direct-marketing-mail-statistics-2014/

*** http://www.marketingcharts.com/cross-media-and-traditional/direct-mail-53522