Is Direct Mail Still Viable in a Digital-First World?

Digital media has become so ingrained into our day-to-day work and personal lives that it’s hard to remember what life was like before personal computers, the internet, smartphones, and social media. The volume of email increases each year, with an estimated 361.6 billion emails sent every day worldwide. And people are spending more and more of their lives online, with the average person spending more than six and a half hours per day connected. Given these trends, both of which are continuing to increase each year, it’s not surprising that some are wondering whether direct mail is still a viable marketing method in this all-digital, all-the-time world. Is “snail mail” going the way of the dodo?

Direct mail: still a great choice for your marketing dollar

The answer to the question, “is direct mail still worth it?” is a resounding yes. According to recent research on the state of direct mail marketing in 2024:

• 84% of the marketers surveyed report that direct mail marketing gives them the highest ROI of any channel.
• The percentage of marketers who find direct mail marketing most effective has increased year over year, meaning direct mail is increasing in popularity and effectiveness.
• 85% of the marketers surveyed said that direct mail offers the highest conversion rate of any of their marketing efforts.
• 84% said that direct mail results in the highest response rate.
• 97% of the survey respondents noted that they were satisfied with the performance of their direct mail campaigns.
• 82% of marketers said that they were increasing the amount they’ve allotted for direct mail in this year’s marketing budget.

“Even though people say that ‘everything is digital these days,’ when we look at the data, we see that direct mail is still a really great choice for companies and organizations that want to get the most bang for their marketing buck,” said Mark Ploucha, vice president of YGS Print Solutions.

5 reasons why direct mail is still viable

1. Direct mail can be personalized and customized to the recipient – in fact, 68% of marketers in the state of direct mail survey said they use data to personalize their mailings.
2. Direct mail is easy to track, with specific offers or discount codes, enabling companies to collect data and refine their offers to increase conversions.
3. Direct mail can come in a variety of formats, sizes, and styles, capturing recipients’ attention.
4. It can give the consumer helpful information or a money-saving coupon, increasing the chance that the recipient will engage with your company.
5. Consumers don’t have to take any action to receive direct mail.

“People really do love getting mail. Whereas people tend to quickly delete most marketing emails, they’ll always give a direct mailing a glance. If they may be interested in responding, now or later, they’ll often put the direct mail piece on their refrigerator, where it stays front of mind,” said Swiler Delp, director of variable data printing data and mailing at YGS Print Solutions. “That beats getting lost in a bottomless email inbox any day.”

Check out our CampaignMail2.0 service, and contact YGS Print Solutions for more information.