Direct Mail has long been one of the most reliable mediums when communicating with your client or prospect base. Certainly in terms of return on your investment, it’s right up there with the very best. Factor in the upcoming GDPR regulations, and it’s suddenly become even more prominent in marketing conversations up and down the country.
In a world saturated with digital communications and web algorithms, Direct Mail cuts through the noise and delivers your message straight into the hands of your customer. In fact, recent research carried out by Royal Mail revealed that 18% of Direct Mail is kept by the customer to revisit at a later time.
Unrivalled Response Rates
Perhaps the most impressive stat uncovered by the Royal Mail research is the incredible open rates Direct Mail produces. A massive 92% of Direct Mail is opened in the UK and what’s even more impressive, is that 48% of adults in the UK took some form of action, be it a purchase or a sign up to a membership scheme after receiving Direct Mail:
- 90% of consumers read catalogues or brochures they receive
- 2 million people in the UK went on to make a purchase
- 5 million took advantage of a coupon or offer
- 3 million made a telephone enquiry
- 8 million tried a new service or product
Direct Mail vs Digital
Digital is a valid and valuable marketing medium, but the research shows it’s being outperformed by it’s more ‘traditional’ contemporary; Direct Mail. In fact, it’s estimated that for every £1 you spend online in a marketing capacity, your return on investment is £3.12, compared with Direct Mail’s £3.22. Now take into account the percentage of the population that would be considered ‘digitally unengaged’ and Direct Mail becomes even more appealing. Recent research carried out by TGI revealed that 58% of those over the age of 65 and 46.6% of those in socio-economic group E (http://www.ukgeographics.co.uk/blog/social-grade-a-b-c1-c2-d-e) have not used the internet at all in the past year. That’s a huge section of people you may overlook if your focus is solely on digital.
Direct Mail’s effect on other medium’s
So the research shows that Direct Mail stands head and shoulders above other mediums when analysing it’s performance singularly, but what about when it is integrated with other marketing channels? A multi-channel approach with varied content and communications is the ideal engagement strategy, as research carried out by BrandScience demonstrated. The online element of marketing campaigns returns 62% more when Direct Mail is utilised. To further illustrate its worth, Direct Mail increases ROI from £2.81 to £3.40 for every £1 spent.
Mail Order responses rocket
In the past year alone, almost 18 million people have placed orders via catalogues or brochures landing on their doormat. That was broken down into 25% via telephone, 30% by post and 43% on the web. A closer look at the research shows:
- 70% of recipients go online after receiving a catalogue or brochure
- Research showed over a 70% increase in purchases as a result
- Online spending increased by a whopping £110
Given the overwhelming evidence, it’s difficult to see why you wouldn’t turn to Direct Mail to engage and communicate with your client and prospect base. Simply put, you get ‘more bang for your buck’ and perhaps most importantly, you increase brand engagement and loyalty with your customers.
If you’re thinking about a Direct Mail campaign or just need some advice on how best to target and engage your audience, we’d love to help. Our team has more experience in dealing with Direct Mail campaigns than they’d care to admit to, and are always happy to assist with whatever requirements you might have.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog piece on Direct Mail. If you need any further info, feel free to contact us on the office number: 0118 474 888.
