Why Is Direct Mail Marketing Still Around? Simple — Because It Works

Recently, Business 2 Community asked how a direct mail marketing campaign could benefit a business. They framed their discussion by first pointing out that direct mail marketing is one of the most traditional tactics a business can use, and then questioning its efficacy in the digital age, reiterating what’s long been wondered — how can direct mail marketing stay alive when social media and email should be killing it?

The answer is simple, of course. Because it works.

B2C argued that direct mail marketing is tangle, personalized, and measurable. Each mailer can be custom made for each recipient, creating a more personable marketing strategy. It’s also very easy to track its success, so businesses can see a more accurately measured ROI.

Their best point, perhaps, is that direct mail marketing is so incredibly cost effective. In fact, for every $167 invested in direct mail marketing, $2,095 is earned back in profits.

However, what it all comes down to is the metrics. Firstly, 6.5 out of 10 direct mailer recipients will either do business with the sender company or will at least engage with them. What’s more, 70% of customers who’d previously ended a business relationship actually renewed after receiving a direct mailer.

What’s also interesting to look at is how direct mail marketing stacks up against online marketing. Believe it or not, 34% of new customers discover a business as a result of direct mail, while only 25% discover a new business through email, and only 10% through a search engine. When compared to emails sent to existing emails, direct mailers are also 30 times more likely to get a response.

In the end, direct mail marketing is still alive because it works. It’s a proactive way to get new customers, not a reactive way like most online marketing strategies. If a business wants to get word out about their business, they have to get out and put that word out there.