We are living in a digital world, where if you give a four year-old your smart phone with no instructions or supervision, they’ll be beating your highest score on Candy Crush (and maybe sending a text or two) within minutes. But even in our digital world, print is still relevant. Many studies have shown that the mind actually perceives information differently when reading printed material versus reading digital material.
While reading on paper there are certain tactile experiences you have that actually change how you comprehend the information. “There is physicality in reading,” says developmental psychologist and cognitive scientist Maryanne Wolf of Tufts University, “maybe even more than we want to think about as we lurch into digital reading – as we move forward perhaps with too little reflection. I would like to preserve the absolute best of older forms, but know when to use the new.”
So all those who said that mail is dead in 2014, are dead wrong! In the spirit of Wolf’s call to “preserve the absolute best of older forms, but know when to use the new” here are some newer trends we’ll see in direct mail marketing this year:
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) – Many of our customers have found Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) to be a faster, easier way to market their business on a budget. Last year the USPS released a new enhancement tool that allows you to choose the mail carrier routes you wish to send to, based on average age, household size, and/or household income. For example, Megan knows that her customers are between the ages of 45 and 60. With the new EDDM enhancement tool she can go to the USPS website and choose mail carrier routes that have the highest number of residents between the ages of 45 and 60. Of course she will also have to send the mailers to every other home in those carrier routes, but she knows that the majority of the recipients fit within her demographic.
Personalization – Personalization is a great way to engage with your customers on a personal level. There are many ways you can personalize your mailers by using the recipient’s first name, by including images specifically targeted to the recipient’s demographic, by tying the mailer to a personal event (birthday, anniversary, etc.), among others. Personalization is driven by the data included in your mailing list, so it is not available for EDDM, but it is available for literally every other mail product Click2Mail offers.
Direct mail continues to be an effective marketing tool – even in a digital world. To get started on your mailing campaign visit Click2Mail.com today.
