21 June 2021
Posted by: a
Direct mail marketing is a throwback to a simpler time; when we left our houses to socialise and cassette tapes were all the rage! In a digitally fatigued world, direct mail cuts through the noise to capture a customer's attention in a different way, and the statistics speak for themselves. According to Australia Post, 80% of us read our mail immediately and 65% read every single piece of mail we receive. Could you say the same about your emails?
The proof is in the pudding
When we launched our June sale, we sent our campaign out via direct mail as well as email and the results are pretty conclusive: Direct mail kicked email’s butt! We achieved 30% click through from our direct mail campaign, vs 4.7% from the same campaign sent via email. We’ve also doubled our sales when compared to the same sale this time last year (which was advertised exclusively through digital)…. and we’re only 2 weeks in!
We did some calculations and, based on a database of 500, the total gross profit from a direct mail campaign would be 660% more than an email campaign. That’s well worth the minimal outlay if you ask us!
Here are all the facts and figures on our direct mail campaign plus some added juicy stats that add to why we think direct mail is the bees knees 
So why does it work so well?
We think there are a few reasons for this
- The touchy-feely factor: There’s just something a little bit special about a physical piece of mail, particularly if you use tactile paper or specialty stock that is just dying to be touched (Rough Diamond, we’re looking at you!)
- The novelty factor: Let’s face it; we’re all a little bit over email. Between the opting in, the confirmations, the checking junk and spam folders and the constant unsubscribing, it’s all a bit exhausting! Direct mail keeps it simple. And sometimes that’s the best way.
- The personalisation factor: Emails aren’t the only thing that can be personalised. We sent our campaign out with personalised envelopes and a quirky and inviting message, creating intrigue while making our customers feel special. It worked well and is one of the things we received great feedback on.
- The sticky factor: A physical piece of mail tends to stick around. We retrieve it from our letterbox, take it inside our homes, it lives on our kitchen counter or dining table and often never leaves until we do! Which means it gets viewed multiple times (unlike email).
Our learnings and top tips
We had a lot of fun with this campaign, and received some great feedback too! As always, we’re sharing the love and passing what we learned onto you
- Ensure your database is up to date. It’s a good idea to keep a clean database for general housekeeping purposes, but it’s particularly helpful when sending out a direct mail campaign (Returns To Sender are a hassle for everyone and will reduce the impact of your campaign).
- Include a call to action and make it measurable. We included a QR code which made it easy to register for our competition giveaway, while allowing us to track engagement at the same time – everyone wins! If you don’t want to go down the QR road, you could include a coupon code or link to a unique landing page.
- Have fun! Direct mail marketing is a great excuse to let your creative juices flow. You might want to play on the old school theme, like we did, or use a headline or teaser that’s hard to resist. Create a little intrigue and curiosity in your audience…. at the very least you’ll grab their attention and give them a giggle – and it could lead to some fantastic results for your business.
Our direct mail sale is on until the end of June, so there’s still time to take advantage of the bargains, have some fun and reap the rewards of direct mail marketing. You might be surprised at the results!