When was the last time something truly impressed you on social media? Since 83% of marketing leaders use social media for advertising, most content is unmemorable. There are too many stories, ads, blogs, and posts to remember.

The oversaturation with digital experiences makes direct mail advertising a great alternative. A postcard or USPS advertising mail you can hold in your hands leaves a long-lasting impression. People are more eager to open a colorful envelope than to check online messages. Direct mail has almost four times higher open rates than emails.

The best thing about modern mass mail advertising campaigns is that you can align them with digital channels. It turns direct mail from an outdated way of communication into a powerful marketing tool.

Would you like to learn more about how mail advertising works? Discover direct mail advertising FAQs, tips, and examples below.

The Place of Offline Mail in the Digital Marketing Era

No surprise that in the digital marketing world, online channels rule. Businesses invest in social media, emails, SEO, video content, and other digital interactions. So why is direct mail still used?

First, offline ads advertising and mailing services work when online interactions don’t. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to online ads. For example, when the customer ignores your emails for several months, a postcard can be the only way to get in touch.

Another reason is that postcards and letters perfectly complement online interactions. They have a special place in omnichannel campaigns and are effectively intensify the digital experience. Therefore, you don’t need to separate digital channels from direct mail advertising. Modern mail automation software allows synchronizing personalized mailings with real-time online customer interactions and events.

Key Questions About Direct Mail Advertising

If you are interested in launching a direct mail advertising campaign, you probably have several common questions. Here are the most popular FAQs answered.

• What is direct mail advertising?

Direct mail advertising is the use of postcards, letters, flyers, and other mail pieces for offline promotions. Businesses deliver mail to the mailboxes of their potential or existing customers. Advanced mailing campaigns are based on personalized mail pieces targeted at specific recipients.

• Why use First Class Mail for it?

First Class Mail is the most common approach to direct mail advertising for small businesses. It is affordable and perfectly suitable for lightweight packages and letters. You can even use it to send merchandise that weighs up to 3.5 ounces. Besides, First Class Mail is mandatory for some mailings, including credit cards, bills, invoices, personal correspondence, sealed mail items, and typewritten material.

• How long does First Class Mail take to deliver?

First Class Mail delivery takes 1 to 3 days, depending on the destination. Hence, mail advertising campaigns are quick to implement and agile.

• What are direct mail advertising costs?

The cost of doing direct mail advertising depends on the number of mail pieces and destination. If you want personalized trigger-based mailings, get ready for additional expenses. You will need to adopt direct mail automation software.

• How should you follow up on direct mail advertising?

You can add a trackable email address, website URL, or QR code to mail. It will allow you to see how many customers have interacted with the piece. Besides, some mail automation solutions support tracking.

• Is it possible to automate direct mail advertising?

Yes, you can connect a direct mail automation API or app to your current software. Mail automation solutions enable you to automatically send personalized mail pieces based on real-time events or actions. Thanks to this, you can add offline communications to omnichannel campaigns.

Now you know what direct mail advertising is and how it works. Yet, if you decide to launch custom mailing, you should consider a few things more. We mean the mail marketing pros and cons indicated below.

‍Use 5-Step Direct Mail Guide to Automate Mailings

Direct Mail Advertising Pros And Cons

Like any marketing channel, direct mail advertising has its strengths and weaknesses. It outperforms digital marketing channels in many ways but requires more effort to launch. Here are some other pros and cons to note.

Pros of Mail Marketing Campaigns

First of all, direct mail campaigns make your brand more noticeable. It’s an effective alternative to online channels users are bored of. Since a custom postcard feels more personal than an online message, it has higher conversion rates. Apart from that, mail pieces are highly targeted and informative. They include more details than online communications and, therefore, can attract attention to your offer. You deliver mailings to specific people on specific occasions. It makes them highly relevant.

Cons of Mail Marketing Campaigns

Compared to emails, direct mail is expensive. You need to invest in postcard design, printing, and USPS direct mail advertising delivery. If you send multiple types of offline communications, the cost will be even higher. Besides, direct mail advertising campaigns require more preparation than digital marketing. You will need to implement address validation, create reliable lists of recipients, organize mail printing and delivery. It takes time and special knowledge.

Read About B2C & B2B Postcard Marketing in 2022

How Can Businesses Use Direct Mail Advertising

Mass mail advertising has many applications across the customer conversion funnel. You can use it to build awareness, nurture leads that show interest in your brand, remarket customers, build loyalty, and more. Check out the most common use cases below:

• Welcome postcards. A welcome postcard is an opportunity to start building long-lasting relationships with new leads. You can send a standard postcard with your branding elements or personalize it by adding the recipient's name. It tells the person you appreciate their choice to use your services.
• Direct mail newsletters. When customers agree to receive updates from your company, you can send them offline. Such colorful newsletters inform consumers about new offers, products, and critical corporate changes. They are particularly effective in B2B, where the connection between partners is tighter and they are more interested in updates.
• Holiday postcards. Christmas, New Year, Easter, and other holidays allow marketers to get closer to existing and potential customers. Businesses can send holiday postcards to greet their target audience and wish them all the best. Although such communications don’t directly promote products or services, they nurture loyalty.
• Discount and sales flyers. If your company is about to start sales, use mail to inform people beforehand. For example, these may be leads who have shared their contact details to receive unique offers.
• Coupons. USPS direct mail advertising and automated campaigns enable businesses to send coupons. It’s an effective approach to upsell products or encourage customers to try something new.
• Catalogs. Catalogs are among the most expensive types of direct mail advertising, so use them on special occasions. There is no point in sending catalogs to occasional people. Deliver them to loyal customers who are likely to view the products and convert.
• ‘Thank you’ loyalty postcards. When customers reach a milestone (e.g., upgrade to a more advanced plan), you can express your gratitude with a postcard. Just be sure it’s something really important and don’t overuse such postcards.
• Remarketing direct mail. When customers leave and stop reading your emails, direct mail advertising is a chance to get in touch. E-commerce companies frequently use it when people abandon the checkout. A mail piece with a discount on the products in the chart can make leads change their mind and come back.
  

It’s not an extensive list of direct mail advertising uses. Offline communications are universal and can power any digital marketing touchpoint for an omnichannel experience.

Direct Mail Advertising Examples

Our customers have used the Send product to automate direct mail for different marketing goals. Here are some direct mail advertising examples to illustrate how customized mailings boost marketing.

Direct Mail Re-Engagement Postcard

NatureBox launched re-engagement postcards when their emails were no longer working. They started to send offline messages instead of digital communications, and it showed great results. With Send, NatureBox achieved a 35% lift in orders per customer and a 60% increase in net revenue per customer. (Read the full case study here.)

Welcome Postcard Campaign

Asana used Send direct mail automation solution to deliver welcome postcards for customer retention. It allowed them to deal with email fatigue and build a more authentic connection with newly arrived users. As a result, Asana decreased churn rates by 15.7% and increased new user visitation by 17.6%. (Read the full case study here.)

Inkit Send for Automated Direct Mail Advertising

Send is an API for direct mail printing and delivery automation powered by Inkit. Connect it with existing CRM or marketing software to layer personalized mailings. After the integration, your current system will automatically send custom mail based on real-time triggers. It allows you to use Send for all kinds of mail advertising campaigns. No need to organize printing or delivery.

Learn more about the functionality of Send or schedule the demo now.