The American Postal Service is so confident that physical mail remains of great importance to businesses that it has been offering companies a money back guarantee on their direct marketing postage costs. For some larger businesses this could equate to a great deal of money and therefore the Postal Service was clearly not entering into the venture lightly.
So, why are they so confident that direct mailing works, and how can businesses in the UK benefit from sending physical promotional literature in an age when sending an email takes far less time and costs a significant amount less?
Well, in some ways, the rise of internet viral marketing has actually made it easier to run a successful mailing campaign. With fewer people sending items through the post, any literature that is received is far more likely to actually be looked at and far less likely to get lost amongst dozens of others flyers or brochures.
On the other hand, banner marketing online seems to be becoming ineffectual, with the majority of ad clicks being clicked on by less than 8% of the online population. When it comes to emails, the figures drop further and those looking to advertise online with banner ads and emails are likely to see just a fraction of their target audience actually paying any attention.
By using a mailing house, the cost of direct marketing can actually be reduced a great deal, and not only will it be an easy and more cost-effective way to actually ensure people know who you are and what you do, but it is also likely to be far more effective in the long run, especially now that so many others are trying their luck online.
So, not only is physical mail still important – it may actually now be more important than ever for those who really wish to stand out.