It’s fifty years since the first UK postcode was introduced in 1959!
A nice little factoid and one I’ll certainly file away under “useful gems for the pub quiz”… but so what, surely they’ve been replaced by that ubiquitous item of personal identity, the email address?
I’m not so sure. There’s still a place for direct mail. Yes, emails are probably cheaper than direct mail, particularly when sent in serious volume, but not that much. Yes, measurement of certain metrics is easier (try measuring the open rate of a postcard), but surely the best measurement is that of the number of people responding to a campaign?
Emails can be designed with company values and branding in mind, but being digital media, I can’t help thinking something is lost. Perhaps that’s why email marketing is FAR more effective as a method of retaining, informing and communicating with existing customers than new prospects. It’s just too damn easy to hit “delete” if you don’t know who the email is from, no matter how targeted it purports to be.
Of course the beauty of direct mail is that it’s tangible. When I open a business letter, the senders choice of paper type, paper quality, typeface, printing quality, 1st vs 2nd class stamp, and all those other touchy-feely criteria tell me something about who’s written to me. Often it tells me something positive about them, other times it's a subtle warning. The point is, they’ve communicated with me before I’ve even read what they’ve sent me!
So has direct mail had its day? Is email the new king? Or is it horses-for-courses?
A nice little factoid and one I’ll certainly file away under “useful gems for the pub quiz”… but so what, surely they’ve been replaced by that ubiquitous item of personal identity, the email address?I’m not so sure. There’s still a place for direct mail. Yes, emails are probably cheaper than direct mail, particularly when sent in serious volume, but not that much. Yes, measurement of certain metrics is easier (try measuring the open rate of a postcard), but surely the best measurement is that of the number of people responding to a campaign?
Emails can be designed with company values and branding in mind, but being digital media, I can’t help thinking something is lost. Perhaps that’s why email marketing is FAR more effective as a method of retaining, informing and communicating with existing customers than new prospects. It’s just too damn easy to hit “delete” if you don’t know who the email is from, no matter how targeted it purports to be.
Of course the beauty of direct mail is that it’s tangible. When I open a business letter, the senders choice of paper type, paper quality, typeface, printing quality, 1st vs 2nd class stamp, and all those other touchy-feely criteria tell me something about who’s written to me. Often it tells me something positive about them, other times it's a subtle warning. The point is, they’ve communicated with me before I’ve even read what they’ve sent me!
So has direct mail had its day? Is email the new king? Or is it horses-for-courses?
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I have engaged a large number of successful business people on the matter of how they like to be approached by businesses trying to sell them a product or service.
ReplyDeleteOverwhelmingly, they hate being cold-called by telephone. They are busy and 'now' is never a good time. They also feel that unsolicited emails are little better than the spam they detest and are given equally short shrift.
The vast majority, however, say that they do try and set some time aside to go through their mail. Many, even if they have a PA to open all of their mail and prioritise it, still insist on 'seeing it all' too. And finally, that if something is even slightly interesting, the letter will find its way onto a pile, somewhere, rather than File 13.
I guess the tough part is ensuring that the message on your beautiful headed paper is sufficiently effective to make the filing decision an easy one.
I guess it depends on your target demographics ...
ReplyDeleteHow attractive is a direct mail approach to someone, say 18-25 where everything is email, facebook, my space, twitter et al? They would respond to the digital approaches.
If your target is major corporates, the key is identifying the budget holder and key decision makers - again, is a phone call not a more appropriate approach?
Direct mailing does have its place too. So, it's very much horses for courses....
Was recently having a similar conversation about this. Direct mail is lovely, and who doesnt like receiving a personal letter (rare gems that they are now) but they can costs thousands to get printed up. Email campaigns seem to be much more effective when written personally to the addressee. Better taking the time to write personally to 50 people than spamming 500. In these media saturated times of social networking, perhaps we're actually becoming more isolated and appreciate a bit of personal attention just that little bit more...?
ReplyDeleteI choose old fashioned Snail Mail for my direct mail everytime - like Stuart says I can choose how my product/correspondance looks. From the neat handwriting on the front, the stamp [rather than a frank], the nice C5 envelope and hopefully targetted recipient.
ReplyDeleteI have some company postcards too and can use these just to send a quick reminder/hello/congratulations to customers. I think its worth it!