Email vs. direct mail – who wins? The true winner is email AND direct mail. The two effective marketing channels work best when used together as an impactful way to share your brand’s message.
You may be wondering why direct mail, which is not always the most economical channel of communication, is still so important, when most people have instantaneous access to their email at every moment of the day?
Direct mail affords several advantages. For one, people typically spend more time with physical advertising than digital advertising, and in turn, have a stronger emotional response to physical ads. Direct mail is tactile and is most often delivered right to someone’s home or office, so it’s harder to ignore. Another benefit of snail mail is that it comes in a variety of sizes and formats, so marketers can utilize physical mail as additional real estate to deliver their marketing message.
If you are ready to incorporate direct mail into your email marketing campaigns, use these tips and best-practices to seamlessly integrate the two channels:
Maintain Consistent Branding and Design
Both email and direct mail should adhere to your branding and incorporate the same creative elements. While the tone of direct mail and email can be slightly different, the overall voice should be consistent to your brand and campaign’s general look and feel.
Know When and How to Use Email and Direct Mail
Even if your company could afford it, direct mail should be used less frequently than email and thought of as a way to initiate conversation. Direct mail can be used to kick off a new campaign, a tool to communicate with potential customers, or to get back in touch with subscribers who have not been engaging with your emails.
Use Direct Mail First When Growing Your Audience
If you are looking to gain more customers or grow your subscriber list, consider using direct mail to get your foot in the door. Create a lasting first impression with mail and then reinforce it with email marketing.
Use Direct Mail to Drive Traffic to Your Digital Platforms
Direct mail is a great canvas for creatively linking to your digital campaigns with tools like QR barcodes, near-field communication (NFC), and augmented reality (AR).
Important Information Should Be Included in Direct Mail and Email
Always include critical information in both email and direct mail to remind and reinforce your message.
Though it would initially seem that email is better for generating engagement and direct mail is better for growing audience, the truth is that direct mail and email work better in support of each other. When planning your next campaign, take time to assess the right combination of the two to achieve your goals. Let ResponseGenius help take your email marketing to the next level – hello@responsegenius.com
