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Survey: Direct mail greater 'proven effectiveness' than social media

With all the hype surrounding social media these days, one may be surprised to find it was rated more poorly than direct mail in a small business survey of marketing channels' "proven effectiveness," effectively underscoring the value of web-to-print, address validation and direct marketing strategies.

A survey released this week by eMarketer found small and medium-sized businesses believe traditional advertising (43 percent), email (38 percent) and direct mail (36 percent) all to be more effective than social media (30 percent). Quick response codes and mobile marketing were cited even less, with 17 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

However, the study also noted that email - likely due to its growing popularity, ease-of-use and minimal expense - remains one of the most popular channels among SMBs.

Direct mail was also cited by respondents as being fairly easy to use, with 40 percent of SMBs claiming so - more than traditional advertising (39 percent), QR codes (34 percent) and mobile marketing (32 percent).

Similarly, another recent study by Pitney Bowes found 76 percent of small businesses believe the ideal marketing mix includes both physical and digital channels.