Direct mail

What is direct mail?

Direct mail involves sending physical promotional materials such as postcards, brochures, catalogs, or letters directly to a targeted audience via postal mail, often part of a larger marketing strategy. Businesses and organizations often use direct mail to reach current or prospective customers, with personalized messages, offers, or updates.

Unlike digital marketing, direct mail delivers tangible content that recipients can hold, read, and sometimes respond to offline. With the large number of emails, pop-up ads, and digital communications people receive on a daily basis, direct mail remains popular for its ability to stand out and for its effectiveness in reaching specific demographics or geographic areas.

How does direct mail work?

The direct mail process can be as simple or as length as a business wants it to be, depending on how personalized they want to make their mailings. The process typically includes some aspect of the following:

• Audience targeting: Selecting recipients based on certain criteria like location, purchase history, industry, or demographics.

• Design and messaging: Creating compelling content and visuals tailored to the audience they’re trying to reach.

• Printing and production: Producing physical mail pieces using commercial printers or in-house equipment, often with variable data printing to personalize names, addresses, or provide personalized codes.

• Mailing and delivery: Sending the materials through postal services, often using bulk mail rates or automation tools.

• Tracking and response: Measuring campaign performance through response rates, redemption codes, or personalized URLs.

Direct mail campaigns can be standalone or part of a multi-channel strategy that includes email, digital ads, or social media.

Why is direct mail important?

• Tangibility: In a highly digital age, physical mail can actually feel more personal and memorable than digital messages.

• Targeting precision: Allows businesses to reach specific audiences with tailored content that could pique a recipient's interest.

• High visibility: Mail is often seen and handled by recipients, increasing the likelihood of recipients actually interacting with the piece of mail.

• Complementary to digital: Works well alongside digital campaigns to reinforce messaging, increase impressions, and drive conversions.

Is direct mail still effective in the digital age?

Many organizations find that direct mail remains a valuable tool, especially when used strategically. Its physical nature can help cut through digital clutter, and when paired with personalization or follow-up channels, it can drive strong results.

What types of businesses use direct mail?

Direct mail is used across industries—from retail and healthcare to education and nonprofits. It’s particularly useful for local businesses, membership organizations, and companies with established customer lists.

How is direct mail different from bulk mail?

Direct mail refers to the strategy and content of sending targeted messages. Bulk mail is a postal classification that allows businesses to send large volumes of mail at discounted rates. Direct mail campaigns often use bulk mail services to reduce costs.

Can direct mail be personalized?

Yes. Variable data printing allows businesses to customize names, offers, and messages for each recipient. Personalization can improve engagement and response rates.