Direct mail is not only what your customers want, but it's also incredibly effective. Research shows that 73% of customers prefer direct mail over other marketing channels. And according to the Data & Marketing Association, consumers engaged with 96% of direct mail in 2019.
So, why not take the plunge into direct mail and see what it has to offer your brand?
4 Reasons You Should Use Direct Mail to Build Your Brand
1. Direct Mail is Terrifically Tangible
Unlike digital marketing and social media, direct mail requires you to touch it. You may think digital is the way to go because people are always online, but the reality is people are bombarded with so many digital ads that they tend to ignore most of them.
Direct mail, on the other hand, requires the viewer to pick it up and read it to take action, whether it's throwing it away or hanging it on the fridge. This tangible experience is significant in trust-building. It acts as social proof of your brand authenticity, which is excellent for your awareness-building marketing efforts.
2. Displays Your Expertise
Delivering whitepapers, reports, guides, newsletters, etc., to customers without a call to action can help you grow awareness and develop trust.
Sending this type of content to customers sets you up as the expert. They will create an image of your business that causes customers to turn to you when they need your expertise.
3. Shows Your Audience You Know Them
Direct mail can pinpoint the right people at the right time. Brand awareness means you know your target audience and therefore get suitable marketing materials in front of them at the right time.
Direct mail is perfect for this as you can mail it out at a specific time to a specific audience based on demographics and location down to the zip code.
4. Improves Recall and Builds Trust
A growing body of evidence suggests that consumers trust direct mail because of the unique way paper-based advertising connects with the parts of the brain that control how we feel and remember things.
A 2015 study by Canada Post showed that direct mail marketing "requires 21% less cognitive effort to process and elicits a much higher brand recall" than digital media. This helps build trust and recall.
Direct mail also involves more emotional processing than other channels, which is essential for memory and brand associations. As a result, your customers will remember your efforts more when you send direct mail.
When you use direct mail, you boost your image and build brand awareness. When it's time to create something new, you know where to go.