When was the last time you got something in the mail you were excited about—and it wasn’t from Amazon? When was the last time you sent something in the mail that wasn’t an Amazon return?
In today’s digital world, analog parts of our life—like regular old snail mail—can be easy to forget about. We hop online for just about everything now. Even if we are heading into a store for some shopping there is a good chance we checked their hours, location and specials online before we ever left the house.
But if you think about the last time you got a card, letter or coupon in the mail, there is a good chance it put a smile on your face. Even in a digitally driven world, mail still makes the vast majority of us happy.
That’s why when digital and traditional forms of marketing are combined it creates a complete powerhouse.
Who Reads the Mail
If you’ve ever thought about adding direct mail to your marketing campaign, you may be concerned that it could end up in a recycling bin unread or even frustrate your clients with another piece of junk mail. These are valid fears since once upon a time there was such an influx of mail hitting our boxes every day. As we have shifted to more digital platforms, though, direct mail pieces have begun to climb in popularity.
According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, direct mail is received far better than you may think. They found that respondents in every generation not only read advertisements that come in their mailbox—they actually like them.
While the digital component often added to pieces (such as QR codes) varied pretty widely in their use among the different ages, many agreed that a piece of mail was a pretty good reason to visit a business.
While the love of mail saw a spike due to the pandemic, sales ads and promotions sent through the mail have always shown a good deal of success for business owners. While they can help give your brand a boost while a promotion is ongoing, they work best when they are combined with your digital platforms.
Spread the Love
So, now that we have established that finding marketing pieces in the mailbox makes customers happy, we should start printing everything we do on paper, right? Wrong!
Adding direct mail occasionally is a great way to get your customers who haven’t visited in a while back in the door, as well encourage ones who have never been in. But it shouldn’t stand alone.
For a small business, reaching your community should be your No. 1 interest. People prefer to shop close to where they live, and there is a good chance you started your business in your community to help them do just that. The more you can reach into your own neighborhood with your marketing, the better.
Social media is a great complement to direct mail pieces sent to your neighbors. For those who are new to your business, there is a good chance they are going to search for you on social platforms before they look anywhere else.
People want to get a feel for who you are, not just the products or services you have to offer. Keeping active, local pages on social media networks and in other strategic places can assure your community that you are one of them.
When it comes to letting people know about your business, the more love you can share, the better! Send the love to their mailboxes, their favorite platforms to scroll and everywhere in between.
Want to take your brand to the next level and create your own marketing powerhouse? Contact us—we’ve got you covered