It can be said that people engage with mail like no other communications channel, as it is quite literally waved under our nose. A staggering 95% of mail is engaged with*. In an increasingly digital world, mail remains as resilient and relevant as ever.

So why is direct mail still effective?

For one, mail is a highly trusted communications channel, with 87% of people describing mail as believable*. Considering the huge increase and bad press around ‘fake news’, spam emails and scam marketing, it’s unsurprising. People are wary of clicking through on the wrong thing and invertedly giving away their personal data. Whereas print tends to give more of a sense of legitimacy and trustworthiness. Plus, you don’t have to enter any details just to access the information!

Direct mail has a marketing advantage because it is tactile. Because consumers enjoy engaging the sense of touch, direct mail helps to establish a relationship between a company and its target market.

Leaflets have greater longevity. Unlike a fleeting online ad, printed materials linger for days, weeks, even months, depending on what or where it is. It will be seen by multiple people in the household – now that’s bang for your buck!

Can direct mail actually be ‘direct’?

Short answer, yes! Longer answer… direct mail is ever evolving and is effective as ever. Programmatic planning and targeting tools can deliver the campaign message to the right audience, minimising wastage. Take all the details you have about your ideal customer, use layers of data to build custom maps of where they are living and boom – the leaflets will only get delivered to people that meet the brief. Cool, huh!

Via Leaflet Distribution Company or Royal Mail?

When it comes to direct mail, businesses have two options. Both can be effective, however there are differences between them.

A leaflet distribution company typically offers more targeted options than the Royal Mail e.g. households with children / level of income / interest in horse racing (yes, really!) Plus, they offer geographic targeting around custom areas, not just postcodes.

Generally, using a leaflet company can be cheaper than using the Royal Mail. This is because leaflet companies have lower overhead costs, but this does depend on levels of targeting, plus size and weight of your leaflets. We can scope out both options and see what works within your budget.

If your leaflets are printed and ready to go, the Royal Mail may be the better option. Typically, a campaign will be delivered in as little as 1 week. However, a leaflet distribution company may be quicker in terms of design, printing and execution of the campaign from start to finish.

Fearful that a delivery person might dump the bundles of leaflets and run? Fear not – most leaflet distribution companies nowadays will offer a GPS tracking report, giving you the peace of mind that your campaign will actually be delivered fully as planned – phew!

To summarise, if you require highly targeted distribution or cost-effective options, a leaflet distribution company may be the better choice. If you require high-quality distribution and speedy delivery, or if you are looking for postal services, the Royal Mail could be the way to go. Just ask us and we’ll be able to advise you!

Call To Action (CTA)

Your leaflet’s call to action is hugely important – because its job is to persuade your recipient to do something. Sign up, visit the store, follow on Instagram, tell their best friend about this amazing new show – whatever the call to action, it needs to be clear and enticing. You could use incentivisation to give them a reason to actually do the action – I mean, who doesn’t love a discount code?!

Our team are here to help pick the right strategy to get the best results for your direct
mail campaign.

Telephone: 01789 720505
Email: [email protected]

*1: Warc Driving Effectiveness with Direct Mail 2021]
*2: Royal Mail Market reach, The Value of Mail in Uncertain Times, 2017