Oh no, not ANOTHER piece about print marketing! But wait, this one’s not sponsored by a printer or a paper company, it’s a DBSA, (digital brand service announcement!)
We keep hearing about the resurgence of print because it has become an important tool, aiding in the growth of digital brands. Oxymoron? Not quite. You have to get past the stereotype of old fashion direct mail and catalog marketing. We’re not talking Hammacher Schlemmer or Franklin Mint. The delivery system may be the same, but the call to action is very different and exciting. Rather than simply selling off the page, print marketing is now a powerful traffic driver. By sending a targeted piece that inspires and leverages response tactics, you can drive consumers to action. Whether you’re geo-targeting around store locations or driving consumers to your website, a well-executed mail piece is a cost-effective way to get consumers into your desired transactional space.
According to an InfoTrends survey, “44% of customers visit a brand’s website after receiving direct mail marketing.” Based on information we’ve collected from our own client base that number is closer to 25%. Either way, that kind of an incremental traffic spike during an in-home window should provide a sufficient ROI. What’s more is you’re creating awareness and brand value that strengthens your business over time.
Recently, there have been some good articles written about how digital brands are expanding their marketing mix to include print. As PPC is getting more expensive and search marketing more elusive, digital brands struggle to acquire new customers and retain and grow their base. Social marketing continues to be effective for certain segments, especially Millennials. eMarketer reports that 90% of Millennials are social media users and of all users, (about three billion in the US), 54% of social browsers research products and brands on the channel, (according to Globalwebindex). That said, the social channel can’t do all the heavy lifting. A well-balanced marketing strategy, (not unlike investing for retirement), requires diversity to leverage opportunities.
There’s a great article in VOX, that discusses the move toward print by digital brands. One case in particular is M.Gemi, an upscale Italian footwear brand that started as a pure digital business. The President, Cheryl Kaplan is quoted, “Direct mail went away for a while, but more digital brands are seeing how well it works as strong marketing,” M.Gemi has found that engaging their consumer with a modern and well-designed mailing piece is an effective tool and maybe even considered cool these days… the vinyl record of marketing!
Motivating statistics:
- Website traffic spikes 25 – 45% when a mailing piece arrives in-home, (in-house survey and InfoTrends)
- Print marketing carries more “emotional weight” than digital marketing, (Temple University study)
- 66% of marketing mail is opened and 82% of that is read for more than one minute. (InfoTrends)
- 56% of customers find print marketing the most trustworthy of all marketing channels, (InfoTrends)
This last bullet point is an important one, especially for digital brands. Earning trust from your customer is key to growing your brand and the long-term value of your customers. The internet as a marketing channel has some inherent credibility issues. As a start-up you can’t assume the audience is going to trust you out of the gate. However, the cost and commitment involved in sending a mail piece to the consumer’s home can jump start that trust and positively affect a brand’s growth trajectory.
At J. Schmid we’re continuing to collect data from our clients on the effects of mailing a promotional piece on digital and retail traffic. As I mentioned before, it looks like website traffic reliably spikes around 25%, but we’re also getting feedback that suggests email open and click rates can increase as much as 15% after the receipt of a printed piece.
That’s it for my DBSA. The bottom line is it’s time for digital brands that are serious about growth to jump in and test a mailing piece. Oh, BTW, J. Schmid would be happy to assess your data and perform a ROI analysis at no charge. That’s right we’ll run the numbers for free! Give us a call.
Tags: direct mail, Direct Mail Industry, marketing, neal schuler, Print Marketing, traffic driver