On New Year Eve, instead of making wishes, marketers think about what to do next. They have already summarized the results of their earlier marketing efforts and need something fresh. At this point, new marketing trends and approaches can impact their choices.

So what to expect in 2022? Even though social media and content marketing will remain strong, there is a lot of space for direct marketing. Face-to-face selling, mail, offline events, kiosk marketing, and other types of direct marketing yield outstanding results. Direct mail open rates reach a striking 90%.

As the world gets vaccinated, consumers seek more personalized and offline experiences. It makes direct communications particularly effective in 2022 and inspires marketers to use them more.

Would you like to get some direct marketing ideas for next year? Read on to learn the top 2022 direct response marketing trends and start using them.

Find Out 2022 Trends to Increase Customer Reach

What Is Direct Marketing? Direct Marketing Definition

Direct marketing is a strategy based on direct communication between a brand and consumers. The main goal of such interactions is to nudge people into completing specific actions (e.g., place an order, visit a website, start a subscription). Whereas indirect marketing puts your company in a position when leads need to learn about it, direct communications include clear offers. That’s the key point in the direct marketing definition.

Another significant factor is that you always need to measure direct marketing. There should be a customers’ response that shows whether they have converted or bounced. It makes direct response marketing a data-driven and reliable method.

Direct Marketing Examples

Direct communications largely happen through offline channels, including postal mail, point of sale, telemarketing, direct advertising, or couponing. Nevertheless, some online channels also enable direct communications. For example, email direct digital marketing when brands deliver standalone advertisements with a specific offer to selected leads. This way, you can send a selection of new arrivals based on the previous customer’s purchases, favorites, or overall preferences.

Direct Marketing Trends to Follow in 2022

Now, when you know what direct marketing is and direct marketing examples, it’s time to discuss trends. The upcoming year holds more offline interactions and personalized experiences. To implement them, brands will need to involve alternative advertising channels, like direct mail or events. Besides, in 2022, marketers will have to strengthen their data analytics capabilities and ensure software interoperability through API integrations. Let’s talk about these and other direct marketing trends in more detail.

#1. Sophisticated Targeting

Targeting is a never-ending trend that will persist in direct marketing campaigns in 2022. Marketers should get to know their potential customers before communicating with them. As the market competition intensifies, the importance of delivering the right message to the right person at the first attempt increases. Hence, to build successful direct marketing campaigns, you need to create detailed consumer personas based on different data types collected about them. Demographic data, purchase power, preferences, and behavioral patterns are primary things to note.

#2. API-Based Software Integrations

Cross-channel marketing web solutions have been popular for years. It won’t change much in the future. Yet, the approach to integrating software evolves. Instead of connecting multiple applications through complex integrations, experienced marketers opt for APIs. APIs allow layering additional features into existing systems. For example, you can upgrade your current CRM with direct mail marketing. API integrations enhance data interoperability and allow building smoother workflows for omni- and cross-channel campaigns.

‍Read Direct Mail API Tools to Automate Postcard and Letter Campaigns

#3. Experiential or Engaged Marketing

As people are gradually coming out into the streets, engagement marketing revives. Marketers organize sales spaces where prospect customers and passers-by can interact with a brand. They may offer customers to purchase a product with a discount, organize a free tasting, or make unique offers. 84% of event attendees claim their opinion about the promoted brand, product, or service improves after visiting the event. Therefore, as 2022 allows more offline, the role of experiential direct response marketing will grow.

#4. Kiosk Marketing

Kiosks are standalone booths located in high-traffic areas for marketing or sales purposes. They enable consumers to interact with your brand directly without facing sales representatives. In the age of social distancing, it’s highly preferable and time-saving. The expected growth of the kiosk marketing market also proves the increasing impact of such direct marketing strategies. During 2021-2025, the self-service kiosk market revenue will grow at 3.51% CAGR.

#5. Automated Offline Mail Marketing

Direct mail marketing offers ample opportunities marketers are sure to use in 2022. You can send catalogs, coupons, special offers, remarketing mail, and other communications. But note that modern direct mail campaigns are nothing like they were several years ago. They are highly personalized, automated, and synchronized with other channels. Brands adopt mail automation software like Inkit’s Send to implement such direct marketing campaigns. They also run automated address verification to optimize mail delivery and reliability.

Find 7 Powerful Postcard Ideas to Start Your First Direct Mail Campaign

Pros and Cons of Direct Marketing Communications

Despite all the advantages, direct marketing has its cons. They vary across different direct marketing approaches but will affect you anyway. That’s why you should consider the benefits and disadvantages of direct communications before starting campaigns.

Direct Marketing Pros:

• Segmentation and targeting. You can reach a specific target audience and tailor the offer to their expectations.
• Alternative communication channels. Since many direct communications happen offline, they offer a great alternative to trite social media posts, emails, or digital ads.
• Feeling of freshness. Direct marketing campaigns based on experiential marketing provide consumers with unique experiences that make them remember the brand and convert.  
• More personalized communications. When you know who you reach and why you can customize the message. It increases relevancy and response rates.
• Easy to measure and analyze. Clear metrics is one of the key direct response marketing requirements. Hence, you will know how exactly each marketing effort affects your KPIs.
• Good for nurturing customer loyalty. Since direct communications feel more personal, they are great to target existing and loyal customers.
• Still affordable. Direct campaigns may be more expensive than indirect, but many types, like direct mail, you can afford.

Direct Marketing Cons:

• Requires more effort to implement. Indirect advertising (e.g., social media, SEO, blog posts) is easier to run than offline events, for example. Hence, be ready to spend a lot of time preparing your direct marketing campaigns.
• May be obtrusive and uninvited. Even with advanced segmentation, you cannot guarantee that customers will be happy to get your offer at a specific moment.
• Risks are higher. Since it takes more time and money to launch a direct marketing campaign, the benefits come with risks. So be sure to research the market and your target audience before doing anything.
  

Marketing automation can simplify the launch of direct marketing campaigns and boost their efficiency. Inkit’s Send is one of the tools you can use. Learn more about how it automates mail marketing below.

How Inkit Can Automate Your Direct Marketing Strategies

Inkit is a reach enablement platform with tools for automating direct marketing campaigns. One of them is the Send API. Integrate it with your CRM or marketing solutions to adopt automated mail printing and delivery. Your software will automatically send personalized mail to specific individuals based on their actions or real-time events. Automated mail is an excellent chance to implement personalized direct communications.

Learn more about Send functionality or schedule the demo here.