Long before direct mail marketing, the great American story-teller Mark Twain once made America smile when he told a newspaper, “Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”

The same can be said for Direct Mail.  The so-called experts have said it is a dead marketing channel for lots of reasons.  Too slow … too expensive … too boring … too … yesterday …

In our ADD, fast paced, digital world it may sound believable … but is it true?

Still Powerful, Still Productive

Over the past 2 weeks, I have received mail at my home and business from Honda, Capital One, the American Red Cross, the University of Delaware, Comcast and you may be surprised by this one…Google…yes Google marketing its small business services.

These champion brands understand the value of this powerful marketing channel, within a comprehensive, integrated, multi-channel marketing plan.

Think of Direct Mail as a piece in the complex marketing puzzle that is just as important as other pieces.

What matters when determining whether Direct Mail is the right channel for you depends on your answers to the following questions:  Who is your target audience?  What are you selling? What is your budget?  What are your marketing objectives?

Let’s say that you are a consumer brand/financial company/non-profit/college targeting a mid 40’s, business owner with 4 kids, that is philanthropic and college educated.  You may want to consider Direct Mail if you are looking to get her to lease/buy/donate/join.

Direct Mail needs to be an arrow in your quiver for other reasons too.   Results are easy to track and it has a much longer “tail” than digital marketing.  If it is sent to the right audience with the right offer and message at the right time,  it will get past the “re-cycling bin” on the “to be considered” pile as compared to the nano-second lifecycle of a deleted email or forgotten digital ad.

I have a theory about why Direct Mail has had such staying power in the Digital Age.

Direct Mail is very much about touch and connection. People respond to it, especially those who have grown cold to online marketing with devices.  But when the mail comes, it’s a physical experience. You open it up and touch it.  Even though the world has changed, people are people and can only absorb so many digital messages before tuning out.

To learn about integrating Direct Mail into your marketing plan, contact Echo Strategic.

-Jordan Grable, CEO, Echo Strategic