Why Mail Marketing Is Still A Great Way To Bring In New Audiences

When was the last time you received mail through your mailbox? Nowadays, getting mail from the mailbox can be somewhat exciting and puzzling. Some people have never even received any, so it’s no surprise to think that mail marketing is dying.

Or is it, really? Advancements in technology have made mail marketing obsolete but that doesn’t mean you should no longer use it. Studies show that response to direct mail marketing has increased by 43% in 2016. This only proves that mail marketing has not died. Ever.

In this article, we’ll dig deeper into the reason why using mail as a marketing strategy is a wise move for business owners. We’ll also include some tips on how you can use it and some examples you can get inspiration from.

What is Mail Marketing?

Direct mail marketing is a promotional strategy wherein advertising collaterals are sent to prospects in the mail. Marketing materials such as letters, brochures, pamphlets, or flyers are a few examples. The advent of email and other digital forms of advertising has made this strategy seem outdated, causing more companies to forego its use.

But rather than making a comeback, we’d like to believe that mail marketing has never died. It is still as alive as it had ever been. It is still an effective and powerful tool for marketing but as with any other tactic, it also needs careful planning.

Why is Mail Marketing Still Effective?

There came a time when people got annoyed by the amount of mail they get in their mailboxes. When compared to emails that are just a click away from getting rid of them, direct mail became tiresome. And for some people, getting mail from the mailman seems to be an alien concept, something that they only knew from tales of yore.

This is why using mail marketing is more effective now than it did back then. The novelty of getting something in the mail. Getting something that is tangible can be an exciting and poignant experience especially for those who used to get mail.

Sending your customers and prospects direct mail gives your brand a sense of personal touch. In this day and age of connections that lack warmth, mail marketing provides personalization that email just can’t replicate. This may also be the reason that mail marketing has better response rates.

Direct mail also has a higher ROI, 29% compared to online ads at 16%. You can easily get their attention with mail that graces their hands more than an electronic one. When everyone stopped sending direct mail, yours can be the only one in their mailboxes, there’s no way it won’t grab their attention.

Mail Marketing Examples

Here are some examples of mail marketing that you can take inspiration from. If you still haven’t considered adding them to your marketing strategies, now is the time to do so.

KitKat

When KitKat introduced their Chunky Bar in the UK, they sent out these mail cards to prospective customers. It resembles a Royal Mail card delivered to people who received packages that were too big to be delivered to their homes. The instructions were to simply redeem their free KitKat Chunky bars from the nearest store. Clever, huh?

Travis Heights

A liquor delivery service, Travis Heights sent out this mail marketing material to their prospects. As soon as you open the mail, you’ll instantly know what it’s all about. The headline is very clear and concise, the images are crisp and do very well in explaining the company’s intent.

Included in the mail are the instructions on how to order, much like the call-to-action buttons on websites or emails. It also has an invitation to a local event that they’re hosting. This mail has hit a lot of birds with just one stone, so to speak.

WWF

To observe Earth Hour in 2009, WWF sent out this candle box to CEOs and other business leaders. This was to ask companies and corporations to join their drive to switch off the lights for one whole hour. The box was shaped like a building frontage and the candle was colored yellow.

When you pull out the candle, the box would look like a building that has all its lights turned off. This resulted in 260% participation of corporations than in the previous years. They gave new meaning to the term “thinking out of the box.”

NFL

Creating a mail marketing strategy needs thoughtful planning. If push comes to shove, a little shock value can go a long way for your campaign. This NFL mail package was sent to top CEOs with the message “inside is the ball 28.5 million US Hispanics truly identify with.”

From the outside, you would expect a soccer ball contained inside the box. But once opened, the recipient will find a football and an advertisement for the NFL with it. Hispanics are one of the most targeted audiences in the US and this mail package certainly did a good job of doing it.

EnoGarage

Looking at the samples above, you’d think that mail marketing would break the bank, but that’s not always the case. This example from EnoGarage is one such perfect example of mail marketing that’s cost-effective. It is great in having the prospect look at your advertisement for a longer time than when they see them online.

It features a simple image of a wine glass with a piece of paper inserted underneath it. When you pull out the piece of paper, the wine glass fills up. It is very effective as the viewer would surely pull the paper up and down to see its full effect, maybe even show it to anyone nearby.

Final Thoughts

Mail marketing shouldn’t be underestimated as shown by the examples above. They can be used in so many ways to prove anybody’s point creatively. Humans are sensory creatures and letting them have something beautiful in their hands can get your brand to be memorable enough to stand out from the rest, the one thing that emails can’t.