Message in the Mailbox

Direct mail expert Craig Simpson, founder of Simpson Direct, Inc. related, “I can’t tell you how often people tell me things such as, “I don’t ever buy things through the mail,” “Big businesses don’t do that anymore,” and “But isn’t email more popular?”

When the “World Wide Web” and “e-readers” swept into existence, pundits decried print (books, magazines, and mail) to be “dead.” Far from it, as we all know. The Direct Marketing Association analyzed data from Bizo and Epsilon, finding that direct mail achieves a 4.4% response rate, compared to 0.12% for email. Additionally, the DMA found that response rates of direct mail range from 10 to 30 times higher than that of digital.

We rely on email, social media, and texts more heavily for work and personal date-making, and we are used to being marketed to in all these channels. But so much flat-screen viewing has a negative impact on, well, impact. These messages become lost as attention flits to the next message on its heels.

Email inboxes are absolutely flooded. Resolutions to keep abreast of email inbox cleaning daily are quickly jettisoned as it seems so overwhelming. Hitting select all before pressing “delete” makes it all go away. Meanwhile, according to the USPS, 98% of Americans check their physical mail daily.

Simpson also explained that recipients of digital/e-mail marketing are often distracted by other simultaneous things their devices are doing, such as notifications. There’s also the very limited manner in which an email can grab your client’s prospect’s attention – just a subject line and perhaps a headline. And, more fearsome, despite security software, some email scammers know how to get around the system and come across as authentic, which can be very dangerous to an unwitting recipient who innocently clicks into destruction.

With these facts in hand, ask your client: “where do you think your message has a better chance of being noticed, much less reviewed?” Also, “what’s more trustworthy to explore – a ‘lumpy’ envelope or an unsolicited email?” And, “what’s a little more exciting, opening up the mailbox to see what’s inside, or scanning your unopened emails?”

Think about it – when you get your mail at home or in the office, if you aren’t taking care of an emergency, you sift through it immediately with full concentration: USPS data shows that 77% of people sort through their mail immediately when they retrieve their mail. One reason is that people get a little excited – what’s there for me (besides bills)? They anticipate something interesting and that something interesting is often an ad or brochure or a circular.

And don’t let your clients and prospects be ageist about using the mail for promotions. Although Millennials are known for texting and tweeting, they’re not as devoted to their digital devices as they are depicted. According to USPS marketing data, 95% of Millennials reported that they love getting mail, and 92% stated they think it’s easier to read print marketing than digital content. According to the same USPS survey, “Millennials and the Mail” (July 30, 2018) showed that 62% of Millennials, they had visited a store in the past month based on information received in the mail—more often than Gen Xers or boomers had.

Direct mail promotional campaigns can revolve around “welcomes,” to testimonials, to free offers and rewards. Magnets and magnet calendars are perfect, as are pens. It’s the tactile sensation of “heft.” There are many viable ideas here.

Direct mail expert Paul Bobnak, in his online article, “Magnet Mail – A Powerful Tool to Build Your Brand and Response” (July 30, 2020, on www.whosmailingwhat.com), provides a bounty of examples of direct mail “freemiums.” Non-profits send address labels reflecting holidays and the seasons, saving the recipient time in handwriting return addresses on envelopes; these are often accompanied by little “to do” notepads. Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit that trains and provides guide dogs mailed magnets and suggested the recipient affixed it to their vehicles for extra exposure.

Do you have a client opening a new branch or business in another area? Lexington (SC) Medical Center mailed residents near its new urgent care center a postcard with a magnet laminated onto the surface.

How about a home or auto repair service? My Plumber, an HVAC contractor in Manassas, VA, mailed a magnet affixed on a postcard printed with a calendar. “Besides restaurants, healthcare offices, contractors, and fundraisers, there’s an amazing variety of businesses and organizations that can draw attention, build interest, and generate response and loyalty with magnets in their mail,” Bobnak asserts.

His examples include:

·         Vehicle dealers and maintenance shops

·         Schools and educational associations

·         Real estate

·         Insurance and financial services

·         Municipalities and downtown business associations

·         Events

·         Salons and spas

·         Personal services (cleaners, home services, etc.)

Ask your clients to look through their mail (personal and professional) every day for a week, and set aside all advertising/marketing mail. Sit with them and review each piece. This serves as a fun and creative brainstorming session.

This isn’t really a case of either/or, all in or all out, – but a more masterful and thoughtful blend of incorporating “snail mail” with email in ways to reach one’s audience and persuade them to engage your client. The powerful beauty about direct mail is that it is...direct.