- August 9, 2016
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Direct Mail + Digital: A Match Made in Marketing Heaven
Despite grumblings and frenzied articles to the contrary, direct mail remains a key integrated marketing tactic. In fact, its integration with digital marketing has nearly guaranteed that direct mail will continue to hold its own in the multi-channel marketing landscape.
A recent article from Target Marketing looks at the harmonious relationship between direct mail and the digital marketing that many predicted would spell its doom. Despite such concerns, it’s clear that the two have developed a symbiotic relationship that benefits consumers and the businesses trying to reach them.
You Got Digital in my Direct Mail!
Direct mail and digital represent a happy marriage of old and new tactics. Today’s direct mail is more personalized, more customer focused than ever before with the enhancements that digital provides. These are no simple print-and-mail postcards; you can now augment your carefully crafted, strategic direct mail solutions with data-driven targeted messaging, QR codes, personalized URLs, audio and video.
The Love Affair Isn’t One-Sided
Direct mail also offers the benefit of being a physical piece with staying power; an interesting piece may stick around long after an email would have been deleted. This post further explores the magnetism of direct mail, including that it is personal, perceived as trustworthy, feels special, and doesn’t clutter up the inbox.
Target Marketing gives a Top Four list of the most beloved features of direct mail among digital marketers.
- Programmatic Direct Mail – debuting just last October, this is the physical re-targeting of digital activity. (For a detailed overview of this new product, see this post.)
- Direct mail is not subject to those challenges faced by email marketing each day: customer retention, unsubscribes, spam, bounces, email filters, etc.
- Direct mail provides another channel for connecting with online subscribers and prospects.
- Direct mail offers an additional way to measure success and meet performance goals. More measurement means more insight into customer behaviors and preferences.
Don’t let fear of being thought of as old-fashioned cause you to miss this useful opportunity to reach your audience in what continues to be an appealing and effective medium. The low-cost/low-return efforts of some digital outreach may be tempered by the higher response rates and novelty of a personalized, compelling piece of mail in your customers’ hands. Now’s the time to embrace the possibilities of a digital/direct mail marriage.
