With the continuing shift towards an increasingly digital marketing environment, with email and social media marketing taking precedence over the marketing world, it is easy for direct mail to become seemingly redundant. Whilst it may seem counterintuitive to invest in this traditional marketing method, direct mail remains an influential and beneficial marketing tool, thanks to the psychology behind its effectiveness. In this blog post, we will explore the psychology behind direct mail and how this makes it a worthy marketing tool for businesses to invest in, driving higher engagement and measurable ROI even in a digital-first landscape.

What is Direct Mail?

Direct mail stands as a marketing tool embraced by businesses worldwide that has been effective for years. It serves as a tangible means of communication between the business and its customers, encompassed in the exchange of physical mail as the source of marketing campaigns. This delivery of direct mail can come in various formats such as brochures, catalogues, and leaflets or postcards, dispatched directly to the customer's doorstep. Businesses accurately target recipients based on detailed market segmentation strategies, leveraging data-driven insights.

Despite its classification as a traditional and potentially outdated approach to marketing, direct mail continues to demonstrate its efficacy for businesses. Unlike digital marketing alternatives that can be easily deleted or not opened, such as email or social media promotions, direct mail maintains a unique connection with consumers by placing promotional materials directly into their hands, consequently enhancing its effectiveness. This physical connection creates a higher likelihood of message retention and subsequent action. Furthermore, the strategic choice of format and mailing options, like opting for a visually compelling one-piece mailer versus a traditional envelope, can dramatically influence the response rate. Many modern campaigns are integrating unique elements like QR codes and augmented reality to bridge the physical-to-digital gap, maximising the channel's omni-channel potential.

Does Direct Mail Still Work in the Digital Age?

In an age dominated by digital mail alternatives, it is understandable that many businesses doubt the efficacy and relevance of direct mail. Whilst these are understandable concerns, the reality of this traditional marketing method is very different. The following statistics demonstrate how direct mail works in this digital age:

• 77% of all mail, including Direct Mail and Door Drops, is read or looked at—an all-time high in consumer engagement since tracking began.
• 87% of people consider direct mail believable compared to 48% for email marketing alternatives, highlighting its superior trust factor.
• 70% of consumers say that mail makes them feel more valued, demonstrating a strong emotional connection.
• The average warm direct mail campaign achieves an impressive 7.9% response rate, significantly outperforming typical digital channels.

These statistics prove direct mail to be an influential tool when compared to its digital alternatives, showing how this traditional marketing tool still works in the digital age. In fact, UK ad spending figures reveal that direct mail saw a significant 12.9% year-on-year growth, marking a return to sustained growth for the channel and underscoring its renewed importance in the marketing mix.

The Psychology Behind Direct Mail

The effectiveness of this traditional marketing tool is rooted in a range of psychological evidence proving how direct mail should continue to be used in today’s day and age.

Sensory, Tangible Experience

Unlike digital alternatives, direct mail offers a sensory and tangible experience. By providing customers with physical mail, delivered directly to their hands, direct mail is engaging with multiple senses. Research from Harvard Business Review has shown that when customers can pick up, touch and feel products this acts as a tool of persuasion. This haptic interaction, which is the perception of objects by touch, creates a sense of psychological ownership before a purchase is even made. These physical connections contribute to increasing brand connection and sway consumers’ decision-making. This physical contact evokes an emotional reaction, consequently having a lasting effect on the customer. This effect can be amplified through the use of high-quality materials, which is why choosing the right paper stock and finishes is so critical to the success of your campaign.

Print is More Impactful

Research has further shown direct mail to be supported by psychological evidence when considering its impact. MarketReach studies reveal that 60% of respondents in a recent study argue direct mail keeps a brand at the top of their minds. This long-lasting and deep impact of direct mail has been shown through neuroscientific studies that show direct mail encourages deeper emotional processing which is important for memory and information retention. The tangible nature means it is also retained for longer, with the average Direct Mail piece having a lifespan of 7.0 days, increasing the potential for multiple interactions. This extended presence in the home provides a sustained brand touchpoint that digital ads simply cannot replicate. To maximise this, consider using a high-impact format, such as a naked mailing or a custom package requiring specialist fulfilment.

Print Requires More Cognitive Function Than Digital Media

Direct mail as a physical form of communication, requires greater cognitive function when compared to digital media. When customers receive email marketing campaigns and see pop-up ads, it is easier, given their digital medium, to scroll past the information or skim over it. However, physical mail engages the brain in a way that encourages deeper comprehension and information retention. Reading a physical piece of paper is a more focused activity, helping recipients to truly absorb the message. This deep processing leads to a stronger and more lasting memory trace of the brand and its message.

Marketers should capitalise on this by ensuring their messaging is clear and their creative design is captivating, compelling the recipient to spend those crucial extra seconds with the mailer.

Direct Mail Produces Greater Desire

It has been shown that we place higher subconscious value on products or values that we see in printed marketing campaigns. In this way, direct mail connects with a part of the brain that results in a greater desire for products, hence why the latest data indicate that 6% of mail prompted a purchase, with nearly half of those purchases completed online. This direct link between mail and commercial action confirms the channel's power. It’s a compelling argument for integrating direct mail into the customer journey, particularly for high-value purchases or when promoting new products through product sampling. When integrated with effective digital components, this desire can be immediately converted into sales online.

Why Direct Mail Still Works

As demonstrated, direct mail can still produce effective results for businesses. Its tangible nature, and engagement with multiple senses, make it a highly effective tool when compared to customers’ experiences with mountains of digital mail that is easily disregarded or not even opened.

Another reason direct mail still works in this digital age is due to how personalisation can be used. Featuring content that is specific to the recipient, such as their name or suggesting a complimentary product based on their previous purchases makes direct mail highly effective. These insights come from highly accurate customer data and demographic information which help to keep direct mail useful in the digital age. This focused approach means that rather than broad-brush marketing, campaigns are targeted, leading to a much higher return on investment. Furthermore, the use of sophisticated techniques like Partially Addressed Mail (PAM) allows businesses to reach specific demographics within a postcode area without needing fully personal data, ensuring compliance while still achieving effective local targeting. This blend of cutting-edge targeting with traditional methods is key to modern marketing success.

Who Can Benefit From Using Direct Mail?

Direct mail is for all types of businesses and is not limited to industry or business size. This traditional marketing tool is applicable for small businesses or multi-national organisations, whether you are in the charity sector, automotive, or retail. Regardless of business, direct mail can be tailored to suit your individual marketing objectives and reach your target audience. Our clients across various sectors leverage the power of tangible mail to achieve goals ranging from customer acquisition to brand building and retention.

The Ultimate Mailing House for Direct Mail

When it comes to delivering successful direct mail marketing campaigns, it is important that you partner with a reputable and experienced mailing house. At DMS, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience behind us, with which we can support your businesses to produce effective direct mailing campaigns.

We offer a full range of in-house flexible mailing options, from advanced direct mail production to smart postage services, to help ensure the success of your marketing campaigns. In an age of digital marketing, we know how to help you stand out. At DMS we promise to deliver a reliable, rapid and flexible direct mailing service. We ensure your mailers are processed with the utmost efficiency, whether it’s through high-speed envelope enclosing or precise inkjet addressing, guaranteeing your campaign is cost-effective and hits mailboxes on time, every time.

To find out more and get a free quote today, click here.