Will direct mail make a turnaround?
Across multiple industries, direct mail plays a key role in customer communications and fulfilling product orders. This channel hinges upon business owners' ability to get their items delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible. For this reason, companies depend on bulk mail software to ensure customer addresses are accurate, which helps them retain strong commercial relationships. Whether an enterprise operates business-to-business or business-to-consumer, it's imperative that direct mail appeals reach the intended recipient the first time.
However, the decline in mail volume during the Great Recession resulted in a final decree that direct mail was dead in the water. Is this this truly the state of industry? FeedFront Magazine suggested that direct mail is a resilient channel that can't be discounted so quickly.
Where's the proof?
The marketing publication cited the most recent Direct Mail Association report, "2014 Statistical Fact Book," which showed that mail volume is actually on the rise. In 2013, 87 billion direct mail items entered circulation, reflecting roughly $45 billion in spending. At the same time, response rates for consumers in their mid-to-late twenties increased in 2013.
A BIA/Kelsey report also found 27 percent of local media revenue was derived from direct mail in 2012, and by 2017, that figure is predicted to hold fairly steady at 25 percent. Retailers continue to put much of their budgetary resources behind direct mail, as it's expected to comprise 43.2 percent of local retail advertising spending in 2017.
Innovation helps direct mail advance
As in many industries, technology has rapidly developed so that personalization has become more accessible and cost-effective than in previous decades. MarketingProfs highlighted a few strategies that business owners can use to make their direct mail marketing appeals stand out.
One tactic is using quick response codes to help consumers connect to online content. Because the Web can't be ignored as a resource to help customers interact with a brand, QR codes are a clever way to amplify promotions. Mobile devices are everywhere and give customers the chance to interact with direct mail in new ways. QR scanners embedded in mobile devices enable this digital connection.
Similarly, near-field communication technology is another resource available to business owners willing to spend a bit more to incorporate small microchips into their direct mail pieces. In doing so, smartphone owners can scan a mail item and instantly be connected to a relevant Internet site, MarketingProfs stated.
With an investment in more recent technology, direct mail can provide business owners with a strong return on investment.