First of all, marketing in general is over saturated. It’s becoming more and more difficult to release a marketing campaign that stands out from the rest.
Statistics show that the average consumer is exposed to thousands of advertisements each day. They hear ads on the radio (before they switch stations) and watch ads on television (before changing the channel).
In 2015, the number of consumer emails sent and received each day totaled over 93 billion.1 This number has increased at an average annual rate of 6% and is projected to reach nearly 118 billion by the end of 2019.
Consumers today have become both blind to the constant stream of advertising around them and wise to the tips and tricks advertisers use to catch their ever-waning attention.
Marketing has change and we must learn how to evolve our marketing strategies based on what the consumer wants and will respond to.
Consumers Process Digital Marketing Differently Than You’d Expect
Digital marketing is a better approach than average marketing strategies due to advanced targeting strategies which add relevancy to viewers. In addition, these ads are in front of consumers on pages they want to see instead of interrupting their favorite music or television shows.
Digital advertising allows for increased interaction with a specific audience, it’s cost-effective, it’s data-driven, and it produces real-time results! It’s no wonder the world of advertising is quickly turning digital.
But, according to one study, digital marketing is actually harder to process than the direct mail we’re so quick to avoid.2
The study compared the effects of direct mail with digital media (email and display ads) by recording electroencephalography (a brain imaging method that records the brain’s electrical activity at the surface of the scalp using sensors) and eye tracking (tests that measure the gaze and movement of the eyes using a small, specialized camera).
The study proved that direct mail actually requires 21% less cognitive effort than digital marketing.2
In fact, when asked to cite the brand name of an advertisement they had just seen, recall was 70% higher among participants who were exposed to a direct mail piece (75%) than a digital display ad (44%).
Direct Mail Marketing is Less Saturated Than Ever Before
According to The Household Diary Study by the United States Postal Service, total mail volume dropped 2.1% from 2001 to 2015.3 Today, the average household receives 15 pieces of mail per week. That’s less than three pieces of mail each day…
The fact that the USPS is experiencing a decline in direct mail marketing is actually a good thing!
With less competition in the mailbox, direct mail has more value and finds itself receiving more attention and responses than ever. USPS reports that 93% of households take time to sort their mail each day and 83% enjoy receiving mail.4
The truth is, direct mail is actually more powerful than ever – but only when combined with other marketing methods.
Omni-Channel Marketing is the Key
By combining the success of the classic direct mail marketing campaign with a strategic use of digital (and email) marketing you can achieve the highest return on investment and will gain the best results.
This type of marketing strategy allows marketers to create a campaign that’s unique and stands out in a world that’s oversaturated with normal marketing methods. It compels consumers to respond because the marketing is different from the methods they’ve learned to ignore.
Digital marketing has widespread capabilities and highly targetable information that’s incredibly relevant to your audiences.
Direct mail marketing is able to do something digital marketing is incapable of – it can be placed in your target audience’s physical mailbox where they must see it, touch it, and respond to it (their response can be yes or no, but they must interact with the piece directly).
By choosing an omni-marketing campaign, like a digital sales event, you’ll be off-setting the weaknesses of digital marketing with the strengths of direct mail and vice versa.
An omni-channel approach like this can lead the recipient through each step of the buyer’s journey with marketing that responds to his or her actions whether they’re sorting their mail, checking their email, or browsing the web.
- 2016 DMA Statistical Fact Book https://thedma.org/knowledge-center/marketing-statistics/direct-mail-statistics/
- https://www.digitaldoughnut.com/articles/2016/july/digital-marketing-vs-traditional-marketing
- https://www.prc.gov/docs/96/96795/Household%20Diary%202015_2.pdf