Is Mail Dead?

If print is changing, then it is fair to say that mail is changing faster!  With the recent announcement of the closure of the Petone Mail Centre, increases in postal rates (if you think that going from 70 to 80 cents is tough (14%), Canada just went from 63 to 85 cents – that’s a 35% increase,) and future reductions in service delivery timing that statement is definitely on the mark!  People often point to the low cost (erroneously referred to as “free”) of email or online advertising and make the often fatal decision to stop print advertising in favour of online or email advertising. Did you know that Google, the king of online marketing, still uses Direct Mail (yes, even in NZ) to attract leads and new customers? So here are some reasons why you should not be so quick to dismiss Direct Mail as a tool in your marketing arsenal:

1. Our mailboxes are empty – it is so much easier to get noticed

Because less people are using mail, your items stands out much more. It used to be said that people opened their mail over the waste basket – but that is no longer the case for addressed mail (although it’s probably still true for unaddressed mail like mailbox flyers). When postage prices rise many of your competitors will abandon direct mail making it much easier for you to get noticed. Yes, it may cost a bit more, but your impact and conversion rate is likely to be higher, making the additional investment worthwhile.

2. People actually enjoy getting addressed mail

Yes, it’s true – as long as it’s not a bill, legal matter or notice from the IRD! So much mail has moved online, and people no longer write letters, so it is actually quite a pleasant surprise to receive something personally addressed to you.

3. You are able to laser-target your audience

Unlike unaddressed mail (mailbox drops) you can decide EXACTLY who to send to. You can target past customers, current customers, particular businesses, etc., with so much ease. The key is knowing who is your ideal customer and making sure that your piece is well suited to that audience.

4. You get much more “real estate” to work with

While an email message is technically unlimited in size, the reality is that people don’t scroll through if they aren’t grabbed by it – that is, if they even get the chance to read it at all.  With direct mail you can send a multi-page document for the same postage cost as a postcard, include colour pictures (most email software now switches off pictures for unknown senders by default, reducing your impact).  You can even use the envelope as well!  Given the reality that open rates on emails have plummeted and open rates on addressed mail have risen, the extra real estate you have with a printed page may well have a significant increase in conversion.

5. ROI can be much higher with Direct Mail

In marketing speak ROI (Return on Investment) is the key metric.  It really doesn’t matter whether you spend $100 or $10,000 – what matters is whether the money you spend is going to generate a profit for you. Current research is showing that ROI on email marketing is dropping fast and ROI on Direct Mail is rising.

6. It can be easily paired with other campaigns to significantly increase response

Direct Mail can be the perfect companion campaign to other forms of marketing. Let’s say you have splashed out with a Highway Billboard – but you know that people re far less likely to respond when behind the wheel. If you waited a couple of weeks for people to notice the billboard you could then follow up with a Direct Mail piece with an page of the billboard on the front and start off with something like “Hi Sally, you’ve probably seen my new bright red billboard along the Hutt Motorway (how can you miss it?) But I realise that it’s hard to respond when you’re whizzing along driving. So I thought that I would send you a personal invitation to try our new service…..”

7. Can DM done on a very small scale

While you will get better postage rates using Permit Post, Direct Mail does not need to be sent in bulk. In fact, Direct Mail works best when it is followed up with a live phone call. So if you could only spend 5 hours a week doing follow-up, and you averaged 10 calls an hour, you should send no more than 50 items each week. In fact, we can help you get that sorted very easily!

8. Electronic messages are now more regulated than postal messages

With the abuse of electronic mail in recent years, and the overwhelm people feel with their out-of-control in boxes, governments all over the world are regulating the use of email. Unfortunately, it will do nothing to stop spammers from offshore – but just make you and my businesses spend more money! Basically the Unsolicited Electronic Messaging Act has made it illegal to send lead-generating electronic messages to people without their prior consent. So if you want to stay on the right side of the law, you have to be very careful about what you use email for and how you use it.  Penalties for abuse are substantial!

If you would like to give Direct Mail a try please phone us on 04-568-8773 and book a free consultation.  We’d be happy to discuss your marketing plans with you and tell you if we think Direct Mail is a good fit for your business.  We can help with the ENTIRE process from the overall strategy (integrating with your other marketing activities), designing the piece, printing and sending the mail.  We are experts at creating personalised direct mail pieces that help boost your business.