Things are really looking up. Home sales are steadily improving. Unemployment is lower than it has been in decades, and the stock market is at an all time high. For the first in time in years, businesses have reason to feel confident that dollars spent on advertising will yield a healthy return on investment. The really big question is how much businesses should spend, and what should they spend it on. The first rule of thumb is to make sure every dollar spent generates both immediate sales, and sustained, long term brand identification.

Over the last few decades, research has shown that when done properly, direct mail gives businesses the best bang for the buck.

The obvious question that businesses are asking is what impact social media should be having on their advertising expenditures. Last year, Millward Brown, a leading global research agency, did a survey that revealed that “physical media–AKA direct mail–left a ‘deeper footprint’ in the brain.” They found that when consumers could touch and feel a piece of direct mail, it forged an emotional connection that did not occur with digital media. Interestingly,  consumers that were affected by “physical media” were as likely to be twenty-one as ninety-one. I don’t think I’m telling you anything you don’t already instinctively know. What would you be more likely to respond to, a high quality, promotion driven postcard or an ad that pops up when you’re searching the web?

The goal of all advertising is to determine the best way to reach your target demographic at the lowest possible cost. The USPS has used advances in computer technology and information gathering that has made direct mail more measurable and an even better value for marketers. For example, the introduction of the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) and Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) has opened a range of new services along with cost savings technology to enhance response rate. These postal innovations have made on-time deliverability of direct mail the rule rather than the exception.

So why don’t more businesses rely on direct mail as a significant part of their media expenditures? According to The Kern Organization, it comes down to a matter of training and experience. In other words, not every person will take great pictures just because they buy a new camera. Images and words really matter, and even slight changes can make a huge difference in response rates. Often when we get a new clients and mention direct mail, they shake their head and say the have tried it before and it didn’t work. When we ask to see a sample of the piece, we can immediately see the problem. Without question, in the world of direct mail marketing, experience plays a huge role in producing successful direct mail campaigns. According to a survey done by Target Marketing magazine, direct mail continues to deliver the strongest rate of response, the highest new customer acquisition, and the greatest customer contact and retention.

For decades, Dynamail Marketing has specialized in direct mail advertising. As a one-stop vendor, we provide everything including:

• Initial market analysis
• Promotion development
• Expert copywriting
• Professional design
• List acquisition
• Final cost saving postal interface

Let’s discuss how your business can get a fresh look at how to use direct mail to generate increased revenue.