Many businesses think their marketing strategies come down to direct marketing vs. online marketing. They don’t realize you can use digital marketing to increase your direct marketing success rates.
The Differences Between Digital Marketing and Direct Marketing
As technology advances and businesses become savvier, more marketing opportunities are created. To grow, a company needs to not only reach large groups of people, but they also need to focus on getting potential customers. The two most prominent ways to reach possible customers are digital marketing and direct marketing. Choosing the right strategy will help convert message recipients into customers.
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing delivers physical materials to consumers to inform them about goods or services. This advertising technique targets a group of potential customers and encourages them to follow a course of action. This marketing strategy has a considerable impact on consumer behavior and positive effects on business. Typical direct marketing materials include print ads, coupons, signage, mailers, and flyers.
Direct marketing tools come with some distinct advantages. Tangible items can be designed and printed to stand out from other mailers. Customers are also more likely to focus on the message of a physical product rather than a digital advertisement. Direct marketing items that are viewed repeatedly, such as signs and flyers, are more memorable.
Direct marketing materials can be difficult to track and measure conversion rates, which is a drawback of the method. Unless your mailer is connected to a specific code or website, you may not know how useful some strategies are. Fortunately, the USPS is implementing services to help track the mail journey.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a form of marketing focused on promoting brands, products, and services to consumers through digital media channels, emails, websites, television, radio, and social media platforms. Digital graphics are often used to entice users to engage with the advertisement.
Businesses benefit from using digital marketing because of the ability to reach large audiences. Niche products can also target particular demographic groups, and digital marketing can be interactive, making it easier to engage with customers. The use of electronic media also helps reduce costs.
Unfortunately, digital marketing is often more easily overlooked. Online ads are easy to scroll past, tv commercials are fast-forwarded through, and emails are deleted without being opened. Because you’re dependent on technology, privacy and security issues are also a disadvantage of digital marketing.
Focusing on Direct Marketing Success Rates
While it is true that online and social media advertisements can reach a nearly unlimited number of people, how many of them are interested in what you are offering? Direct marketing can get your message out to a pinpointed target audience that is more likely to engage with your business. When comparing direct mail vs. online advertising success rates, you will see direct mail is a great way to influence consumers.
Here are marketing statistics highlighting direct marketing success rates:
- 57% of companies use mail advertising, making it the second most popular medium
- 76% trust direct mail when making a purchase
- 36% of consumers below the age of 30 look forward to getting the mail each day
- 75% of households read or scan the direct marketing materials they receive
Direct Mail vs. Digital Marketing Response Rates
How do people respond to direct mail compared to online advertising? Digital marketing email lists, paid search results, and social media ads all sit at 1% response rates. Direct mail prospect lists see an average response rate of 5%. Even more impressive, direct mail household lists bring back a 9% response rate.
Digital Marketing and Direct Marketing Are Best Used Together
At times, an organization can become too focused on direct marketing vs. online marketing without realizing they can be used effectively together. Combining digital marketing and direct marketing campaigns is an effective way to create a high conversion rate. Using digital marketing to reach a broad audience while sending direct marketing materials to local audiences is an effective strategy.
Businesses looking to increase their mail response rate can coordinate direct mail and email marketing. A direct mail piece can grab a customer’s attention and entice them to take action with follow-up emails. To remedy the issue of mail campaigns being less interactive, adding a QR code can help engage your customers and entice them to take the next step to purchase your product or services. Listing incentives related to customers visiting your website on mailers can also help drive traffic.
Presort Inc. Provides Solutions That Resonate With Any Audience
Presort Inc. is here to help if your business wants to maximize exposure, spread the word about goods, events, or services, or highlight special offers. Reach out today to find out how combining digital marketing and direct marketing services helps you reach your target market.
