In 2021, it feels like what’s old is new again. Vinyl album sales in the U.S. have been on a steady increase since 2006. Fashion from the 1990s has been making a comeback (puzzling all of us who lived through that decade).
And this leads us to direct mail. Incorrectly referenced as “making a comeback” in 2021, the hype around direct mail marketing ebbs and flows as new communication channels or platforms come and go, but the popularity and effectiveness of direct mail has never gone away.
Yes, Direct Mail Marketing Still Works in 2021
And please, don’t call it a comeback, direct mail has been here for years.
Direct mail has withstood the test of time because it doesn’t get lost in the deluge of digital. Up to 90% of direct mail gets opened, compared to only 20% of emails due in large part to modern direct mail strategies like personalization and hyper-targeting. Here at Jet Mail, our customers have achieved response rates as high as 30% on mailings of just 2,500 hyper-targeted pieces.
Successful direct mail campaigns are a lot more data-driven and technologically-advanced than you might think. Long gone are the days when your options were limited to black-and-white printed pieces in three formats that were addressed to “Current Resident.”
And to that point, let’s dive into how data and technology power the extraordinary ROI that today’s direct mail delivers.
Modern Direct Mail is Data-Driven and Hyper-Targeted
We know marketers are obsessed with data – we are, too!
Modern direct mail marketing strategies leverage your customer data to hyper-target and personalize every interaction in a way that digital channels simply can’t compete with.
Everything from names, copy, logos, images, colors, offers, URLs, QR codes and more can be personalized from one piece to the next by segmenting customer data such as:
- Geography: Physical location, including county, town, zip code and even subdivision.
- Demographics: Gender, age, ethnicity, income, occupation, education level and home type.
- Behavior: Buying patterns, habits and preferences.
- Psychographics: Interests, lifestyles, activities and values.
And here are just a few of the ways you can put the power of personalization into action:
- Build brand loyalty: Welcome new customers and recognize milestones of long-term customers.
- Reinforce email offers: Pair a personalized direct mail piece with a digital marketing campaign to stay top of mind.
- Re-target and re-engage: Grab the attention of, and reconnect with customers who have stopped opening emails or haven’t purchased from you in a while.
- Connect on a meaningful level: Acknowledge customer anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and more with personalized offers that resonate with their demographics.
- Customize special offers: Cross-sell, upsell or send reminders to renew a service or product.
- Localize marketing: Quickly seize opportunity by adapting messaging to address regional events or shifts in local behaviors.
Personalization works because it captures people’s attention. Let’s take a look at the technology that allows for advanced personalization strategies that make direct mail so effective in 2021.
Personalization Technology: Because Your Customers Aren’t Named “Resident”
It’s highly unlikely that anyone in your CRM has the name “Current Resident.” Mail pieces addressed to “current resident” are thrown away because people know the content contains a generic message.
Response rates for personalized mail pieces are 300% higher than non-personalized mail pieces, which is why it’s critical to leverage modern personalization technology in every campaign.
With state-of-the-art technology like variable data printing and advanced data processing, you can personalize every printed piece in a single, high-speed print run. In other words, if you are sending a direct mail campaign to 50,000 customers, you can personalize each and every mailpiece (and the envelope!) to address the unique needs, pain points and interests of the individual in a single, high-speed print run. No delays; no stopping or starting.
Personalization is also a powerful reporting tool, allowing marketers to generate critical data on campaign effectiveness. Use unique QR codes or personalized URLS (pURLS) to track the success of your campaign and amplify digital marketing efforts.
Let’s talk more about how direct mail is a critical part of multi-channel marketing strategies.
Get your Message in Front of Customers First With Jet Mail
As marketers, we want to have as many touch points with our audience as possible. The more times a message is seen, the more likely it will be top of mind when it comes time to buy.
Modern direct mail has adapted to modern audiences (who are overwhelmed by digital advertising) and is the only communication channel that provides both a tangible and a digital touchpoint in one.
That’s right, modern direct mail is in your customer’s mailbox as well as their inbox. And when direct mail is sent digitally, it comes with an average daily open rate of 64.7%.
Informed Delivery gives customers a digital sneak peek of the mail that will be delivered to their mailbox that day. The preview of their incoming mail can be accessed via the mobile app, daily email notifications or the USPS website.
A standard notification includes a black and white image of the mail or package for consumers to view. Not very exciting, right? However, the USPS saw the marketing potential and developed a feature that allows businesses to pair direct mailings with digital campaigns. You can replace the scanned image with full-color banner ads, images, and links (also known as ride-along content) to direct users to landing pages, websites and other digital content. And it works. Synchronizing personalized direct mail with digital strategies has lead to ROI-boosting results including:
- 63% increase in response rates.
- 68% increase in website visits.
- 40% increase in conversion rates.
Modernize Your Direct Mail Strategy with Jet Mail
There was a time when everyone thought email would kill direct mail. Then everyone thought that social media would kill them both. As it turns out, there’s plenty of room for multiple communication channels in our world, but one is preferred and continually rises to the top in terms of ROI.
Direct mail is more powerful in 2021 than ever before and Jet Mail’s team of experts are here to set you up for success. Contact us today to learn how our data-driven approach and advanced personalization technology can boost your marketing efforts in 2021 and beyond.
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