Email marketing comes second nature to most marketers nowadays. As a result, direct mail marketing often gets neglected. But what many marketers are unaware of is the many similarities the two mediums share. Some of the reasons why you prefer to rely on email marketing campaigns also hold true for direct mail campaigns. And the differences between email marketing campaigns and direct mail may be enticing enough to convince you to start mailing audiences sooner rather than later. 

What Similarities Do Automated Direct Mail Campaigns Share With Email Marketing Campaigns?

It’s no secret that direct mail is among the more traditional marketing strategies. Regardless,  you may be surprised to realize how similar email marketing campaigns are to direct mail campaigns. A few of the biggest traits the two methods share include:

• You Can Easily Track the Results of Direct Mail Campaigns

Key statistics like open rate, opt-outs, and click-through rates (CTR) are vital to analyzing the success of email campaigns. Tracking the performance of direct mail campaigns is just as simple. All you have to do is include a QR code, specialized URL or tracking phone number in your mailer. Then, at the conclusion of your campaign you’ll receive a report on how many calls your mailer generated, or landing page clicks you got.

• Variable Data Printing Makes Personalizing Direct Mail Campaigns Simple

Another benefit of email marketing campaigns is that they allow you to quickly and easily personalize your messaging. Fortunately, personalizing your direct mail campaigns is just as simple. That’s because variable data printing allows users to leverage any data they possess about the recipients on a mailing list to send a personalized mailer that stands out from the crowd. Name, location, products purchased – you name it. You can personalize your direct mail campaign using any data point you have available, making your messaging more relevant than competitors.

• You Can Control When Your Audience Receives Your Message

One of the biggest concerns people who are unfamiliar with direct mail have is that they may not be able to control when your mail gets sent. Considering the ripple effect a poorly timed message can have, this concern is more than fair. But relying on Direct Mail Manager allows you to decide when you want your mail to be sent. You can even track your mailer from the moment it leaves our facilities until it reaches the mailboxes of your recipients. This makes nailing the timing of your communications easier than you can imagine.

Differences Between Automated Direct Mail Campaigns and Email Marketing Campaigns

Of course, there are a handful characteristics that differentiate direct mail campaigns from email marketing efforts. In fact, you may find that these traits provide direct mail marketing with a slight edge over email campaigns. Here are a few of the ways direct mail can provide you with a slight advantage over email campaigns:

• No Opt-In Required for Direct Mail Campaigns

Getting recipients to opt into your email list is one of the biggest barriers preventing you from achieving your desired results. And you never know whether or not your next email will lead to recipients opting out or unsubscribing. Since you aren’t required to allow direct mail recipients to opt in or out of your communications, direct mail is ideal for eliminating this obstacle. While your opportunities to communicate with recipients via email can be limited based on user preferences, direct mail provides marketers with the freedom to message recipients at will.

• Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns Deliver Better Response Rates

After spending time crafting the perfect message and offer for your audience, all you can do is hope for the response you want. Considering how low the response rate for email is (0.12%), marketers hoping to get more traction from their efforts are wise to begin leveraging direct mail. That’s because direct mail possesses an average response rate of 4.4%. That means if your mailers include a concise but clear call to action, along with a stellar design your odds of getting the response you need is much higher than it is with emails.

• You Can Provide Audiences With a Tangible Message With Direct Mail

Considering how much advertising people are inundated with on a daily basis, your marketing efforts truly need to stand out in order to grab attention. And providing audiences with a direct mail piece that’s worth hanging onto is one of the best ways to captivate your audience. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the ways you can make your direct mail materials memorable enough for recipients to save for a while. Perhaps you can offer a discount code for recipients to use online. Or you could showcase pictures of new products, along with customer reviews about how great they are. Don’t be mistaken – a convincing direct mail piece has the potential to exceed your expectations regarding response rates.

Create a Direct Mail Manager Account Today to Begin Mailing Your Audience

Don’t underestimate the impact an automated direct mail campaign can have on your ability to strengthen your relationship with your target audience. Begin amplifying your message today by creating an account with Direct Mail Manager. If you think sending direct mail campaigns is difficult or expensive, think again! Direct Mail Manager offers multiple membership levels, including a free tier. And our team of direct mail specialists is more than happy to walk you through a complimentary demo. Businesses just like yours are seeing undeniable results from automated direct mail campaigns. Yours can be next by signing up for a Direct Mail Manager account and uploading your first list today.