Direct mail is trending upward in 2022! A recent report on direct marketing shows proof of an upward trend by companies not only in the United States, but globally. Key drivers for this trend include increasing digital marketing fatigue and personalization, allowing for customers to respond directly to the advertiser.
According to the U.S. Postal Service, the average household gets 454 pieces of mail annually. By contrast, research suggests most consumers can expect 120 emails to land in their inboxes daily. The odds of someone opening unsolicited direct mail are undoubtedly higher than the same person skimming your email.
Direct mail is particularly effective for companies with limited budgets to track ROI. A recent report from Lob, a direct mail automation company, states that 2 out of 3 marketers say direct mail delivers the best ROI of all their current channels. Campaigns for customer acquisition, retention, and re-engagement are popular use cases.
Personalization is also key. The same report shows that 8 in 10 companies send personalized mail because they recognize that personalization delivers higher ROI than a blanket mailpiece. This used to be a massive undertaking, requiring many hours of staff time and impeccable attention to detail, but times have changed.
How Does Marketing Automation Affect Direct Mail Marketers?
Marketing automation makes personalization as simple as a click of a button. Automated systems can replace manual labor and allow for quick analysis of data you already capture from your client base. Not only is customization easy, but Forrester, a global market research company, reports that 80% of marketing automation users see a 77% increase in conversions!
So why isn't everyone deploying marketing automation workflows? The short answer is that it can be complex and requires research to find the best system that works with your current database.
The other issue that arises is with the data itself. What information are you collecting from your customers and prospects? Some marketers think that they need huge amounts of data to pull off a personalized campaign, but that's not necessarily true. Even if all you have is standard information like name, address, company name, and industry, you can develop a mailpiece that speaks to your audience. It's generally true that the more data you have the better, but it's possible to get results with minimal information.
Let's Get Started!
Now you know the winning combination: direct mail and marketing automation. Wondering how to get started? We've got you covered with our collateral and commercial printing offerings.
The Vomela Companies (listed at #22 on the Printing Impressions Top 300 List) partners with marketers nationwide on intelligent mail campaigns. This is the best of marketing automation married with direct mail printing and delivery! And the Vomela Commercial Group makes it easy on our customers by guiding you through every step of the process.
All you need is your existing database of customers and prospects. We will work with your team to design, print, and mail personalized collateral that you can then track and measure ROI on. We can even suggest marketing workflows around your direct mail campaign that incorporate digital elements including phone calls after the pieces land in mailboxes.
Ready to get in front of your customers with automated marketing? Contact us to get started today!
