A human’s average attention span is between 8 – 12 seconds. Sounds like a long time, but if you take a moment to count to 10, that’s all you have to capture the interest of your potential customer.
Lockdown of spring/summer 2020, saw screen time increase by a whopping 40% with industry watchdog Ofcom recently reporting that UK adults now spend up to 45 hours a week online. During this digital immersion, we’re presented with up to 10,000 marketing messages DAILY. Yes DAILY. So, for brands, it has never been more challenging to cut through the online noise. This is where we can help.
Here we’ll take you through the reasons why direct mail is a vital campaign tool. We will even share some ideas to take your next delivery from dull to engaging and fruitful.
Did you know that mail keeps a brand and product in a recipient’s home for an average of 17 days for addressed advertising mail and 38 days for door drops? That’s plenty of time to become memorable if you do it right. (Source)
Print and direct marketing are in our DNA.
From Premier League football to global tourism, Clone Media clients are turning to video brochures to create stand out direct mail and deliver their message in a unique way. While practically, for volume sending this can reduce print and postage costs, the most significant benefit is delivering a more interactive customer experience direct to their door.
A real-life example of this approach was taken by international luxury brand Guerlain who wanted to send something unique to their customer-base when promoting their new fragrance. We created an A5 video brochure delivered in a printed mailer carton, received by over 1,000 customers.
Integrated Communications.
Customers need up to twelve touchpoints before making a purchase. Once that piece of captivating direct mail falls through the letterbox, your first impression is made. The impact of this alongside email marketing, social media activity and website content will help you become unforgettable.
When you choose direct mail, you deliver highly-targeted messages with rapid, often measurable returns, such as increased brand awareness and customer action/conversion.
Our main takeaway here is, don’t underestimate how crucial direct mail is to your integrated marketing campaigns’ success.
Mail is 33% more engaging than email and 35% more engaging than social media advertising (Source)
The perfect all-rounder.
Direct mail physically lands right in the consumer’s hands. They can’t avoid picking it up. Including promotional incentives within your mailing, such as vouchers, offers, and invitations, provides an excellent opportunity for startups to generate brand awareness and get their first sales. At the same time, established businesses can use it tactically to target client segments and encourage return custom.
For example, UberEats are known for their continuous offers throughout the year – £10 off your first order! Who could pass that up?
As well as measurable short-term gains, direct mail can also help you play the long game with 27% of UK consumers keeping mail within a household after twenty-eight days (2018 Direct Mail Facts and Figures) – significant lasting power versus the more disposable nature of digital ads and email messages.
Make an impact.
If you’re looking to utilise direct mail, it’s essential to make the most of your opportunity by keeping your message clear and in alignment with your overall comms goals.
Differentiate between customers that are already loyal to your brand and new or prospective contacts. How? Variable data printing. With variable data printing, you can tailor your message to specific customer segments in a way that suits them best. Of course, the better your data and segmentation, the better the outcome.
For tips on creating stand out printed materials, click here.
The excellent news? There is a demonstrable ROI!
Direct mail is incredibly personalised. As we have mentioned, you can segment your audience by geographical location, demographics, psychographics, buying history etc.
Using traceable call to actions such as voucher codes, tracked phone numbers or QR codes, means you can measure engagement and conversion and ultimately which promotional activity best resonates with each customer segment. If you study your data, you can begin to paint a clear (quantified) picture of your most fruitful activities, informing future campaigns.
92% of people are driven to go online after receiving direct mail. 86% connect with businesses, and 87% are influenced to make online purchases. (Source)
So there you have it. Some of the many reasons direct mail is still very much part of the marketing mix. The facts don’t lie. If you’re interested in adding direct mail into your tactical toolkit Clone Media can support throughout the whole process – get in touch and see results today.
