There seem to be many myths regarding mail in this day and age; from its limited ability to drive online traffic to the value and presence mail has upon individuals and the perception of the item received. However, these are just myths, as the title suggests. So we’re here to bust those untrue ideals and tell you why mail is important, now more than ever.
Many believe that digital marketing is quicker than mail because mail takes longer to create and despatch. However, despite the myth, digital marketing is not always a speedier option, as the time to create a letter is very similar to that of an email.
Unlike 10 years ago when letters had to be created manually, Hybrid Mail offers businesses the solution to create and send mail quickly and efficiently. Which means it is now a valuable competitor to emails.
Along with this, as digital marketing has increased, so has the number of emails in the inboxes of potential customers. Emails are having to compete harder to be seen, but with mail, the message lands straight on the doormat and is instantly engaged with. Letters have the potential to stay ‘live’ in households for a longer period of time - 27% of mail is still ‘live’ in households after 28 days (JICMAIL, 2018), improving brand recall, whereas emails are often deleted instantly, with 51% of emails being deleted within 2 seconds (Market Reach, 2019).
Many believe that targeting millennials through mail isn’t a useful strategy to pursue because they are less likely to read it, resulting in wasted costs for your business and a missed chance to increase revenue but this isn’t true!
Interaction with mail among young people is extremely high due to the fact that they don’t receive much of it, so the mail they do receive is, very often, opened and interacted with. A DMA study (2018) showed that 18-34 year olds have the highest rate of those who responded to mail, of all ages.
And a Market Reach (2020) study also supports this as it found that the biggest rise in engagement with mail in 2020 came from people aged 18 to 34 - potentially because of the relative novelty of receiving post.
So targeting the younger generation is an excellent solution for many businesses to improve your outcomes and get your messaging seen.
Another myth regarding mail is that it is ineffective at driving digital actions and cannot be used to accompany any marketing activity that you are doing online.
However, a Market Reach study (2020) revealed that Mail is a valuable tool for the digital marketer. It has shown its value in driving online traffic, with a 70% YOY increase.
By simply including a web link in your mailings, you can navigate your recipients to your website where they can find out more information and continue reading - resulting in higher traffic and increased engagement.
Many believe that mail is less memorable than social media advertisements, however, this isn’t the case.
In an article on LinkedIn, Ryan Holmes (Chairman and Co-founder at Hootsuite), revealed that social media users are exposed to over 5,000 marketing messages PER DAY. However, the average person receives only 1.3 letters directly in the mail per day (DMA, 2019).
A 2020 Market Reach study also revealed that the limits of digital channels are becoming clearer: 2 in 5 people have reported suffering digital burnout and consumers crave real, tangible and ‘human’ interaction. Meaning that your mail is more likely to be remembered over social media.
The final myth we’re busting is that many believe letters no longer have the same response rates as they did in the past, resulting in their effectiveness being lower so they are less useful for businesses to utilise.
However, a Market reach study (2019) showed that as a result of receiving direct mail:
73% sent an email to the sender
46% shared information on social media
50% downloaded the senders app
35% followed the sender on Twitter
84% were driven to the sender's new products or services
Showing that letters do in fact have a good response rate and are the perfect solution for reaching your varied customer audiences.
So there you have it! common mailing myths debunked. Highlighting that mail still plays an important role in any successful marketing strategy. In fact, campaigns that included mail were 40% more likely to deliver top-ranking acquisition levels than campaigns without mail (Market Reach, 2020).
Life has changed since the pandemic, and a Market Reach study (2020) shows that longer-term trends point to the continued relevance of mail. ‘In home’ is going to be a big part of our future for a while yet, with increased remote working likely to be a reality for millions of people. And, as the shift to online shopping continues, businesses and brands will need to work harder than ever to reach out, stand out and feel part of people’s lives. Mail has always mattered. It now matters more than ever.
To find out more about how hybrid mail works or talk to us about how it can be a part of your marketing strategy, visit our hybrid mail page HERE.
References:
JICMAIL (2018), A New Currency For Mail - Presentation. (Accessed 20th April 2021)
Market Reach (2019), All About Mail And Email- Presentation. (Accessed 20th April 2021)
Market Reach (2020), Mail Matters More Than Ever - Presentation. (Accessed 20th April 2021)
