Sending Direct Mail in the Era of Hybrid Workplaces

Summer is coming. Masks are (slowly) being removed. Employers across the United States are making plans for their employees to return to the office. But will they?

Since the beginning of the pandemic, many workers have proven themselves as being productive when working at home. They have been pushing for flexible work arrangements to continue. Fortunately, most employers have no plans to completely end remote work. Recent surveys show that nearly 60% of companies are planning to adopt some form of hybrid workplace.

Hybrid work means people will be splitting their time between work and home. At the very least, this affects your direct mail timeline because you'll have less chances to reach people at the office. For example, if someone only works in the office Monday through Wednesday and your mail piece lands on a Thursday, you've lost that week. If you're marketing a conference, a sale, or anything else with a deadline, be sure to start planning early! You'll want to allow more time to develop the mail piece and more time for it to sit on desks before being seen.

One question that we often get is about location. Are people more likely to open their mail at the office or at home? Given that the average American household receives 454 pieces of marketing mail per year, it's probably easier to reach people in the office. Most people don't have store circulars and bills to contend with at the office. In fact, if your prospect list includes entry-level workers, you might make their day by sending mail to them!

Of course, if your main audience is filled with movers and shakers, you'll need to make your mail piece stand out even at the office. Remember that oversized envelopes have the highest response rate of any marketing mail. We've recently seen an uptick in these types of campaigns, where a letter and catalog or large (8.5 x 11 size) brochure are mailed in a 9 x 12 envelope. Even when your prospect knows it's direct mail, they want to open it and find out what's inside. Remember: Up to 90% of direct mail gets opened, compared to only 20-30% of emails.

Once your direct mail is opened, it's time for the copy and graphics to do their job. Talk about leaving an impression (printing pun!)—75% of people can recall a brand immediately after seeing a direct mail piece. That's compared to only 44% who viewed a digital ad. Make sure your piece is branded well and uses copy to entice your audience to learn more.

Reach out to your sales commercial or account manager today to learn how Vomela Commercial Group can help with your direct mail campaigns!