By
Mark Lee
Direct Mail remains one of the most cost-effective means of generating new leads and new customers. The Direct Marketing Association reports that the cost per lead of direct mail is in line with print and pay-per-click, and significantly less than telemarketing (See Table 1). Direct mail production costs are somewhat more than email, but not enough to make email the holy grail of direct marketing.
Table 1: Cost Per Lead Comparison 
--Source: Direct Marketing Association
Direct mail also enjoys longer “shelf life” than email, so it might be profitable to evaluate your existing landing pages and offers to see what can be repurposed to offer through direct mail. If you do, remember that people may access it weeks after the mailing, so make sure that the pages and offers are still good—or put a firm deadline on response time.
Direct mail doesn’t have to be large and expensive to be effective. The U.S. Postal Service found that postcards are the mail format most likely to be read or scanned.
Oversized postcards tend to get more attention, so try a large-format card size. Then see how your postcard test performs against email. Postcards are also a great deal less expensive to print and mail than most forms of direct mail.
Direct Mail’s edge is even more dramatic when optimized with personalization and combined with personalized landing pages.
Media Horizons lists five great reasons why you should keep direct mail in your marketing mix:
It’s Targetable – With a
direct mail campaign you have the ability to leverage customer information and target the prospects most likely to respond to your message (from a specific neighborhood to precise household characteristics and personal interests).
It’s Personal – Build a relationship with your prospective or current customer by creating personalized
direct mail pieces with the recipient’s name and a customized message. This personalized touch is critical in building a relationship with the reader and results in a higher likelihood of driving action.
It’s Tangible – Because
direct mail is delivered directly to your prospects’ hands, they are virtually guaranteed to see your message. Since customers can also physically touch your piece of mail, they are more likely to see its contents as reliable.
It’s Visible – Traditional mailboxes are seeing a decline in volume as people and businesses switch to email both for personal contact and bill paying. With the decreased volume of traditional mail,
direct mail is more effective due to fewer messages competing for your recipient’s attention.
It’s Long Lasting – Unlike email which is quickly deleted from the inbox,
direct mail has a greater chance to grab the attention of your prospective customer as the message remains in the home for a longer period of time.
Read more:
Maximize Value with These Effective Direct Mail Techniques
AlphaGraphics Arlington. Direct Mail Experts.
www.us110.alphagraphics.com