In an increasingly digital world, cutting through the noise of endless emails and online ads to stand out from the crowd has become more challenging. While many have shifted away from printed marketing solutions in recent years, printed marketing materials have consistently demonstrated higher trustworthiness and recall rates when compared to digital advertising. When integrated with digital marketing strategies, print materials, especially through direct mail services, can serve as a powerful tool to enhance brand recognition and even boost online engagement and conversions.
At H&H Reeds, we specialise in delivering bespoke print and digital marketing services. With our extensive experience, we have partnered with hundreds of clients, creating strategic and focused solutions to drive customers to your business.
In this article we’ll explore the advantages of direct mail when combined with digital marketing to help you decide if it’s the right strategy for your business.
There's no denying that digital marketing is an incredibly effective and accessible tool that nearly all marketers and business owners depend on. With its ability to directly target users and provide data-driven insights to measure effectiveness, it's an essential tool for any brand to reach a wider audience.
However, the accessibility of digital marketing can also be a disadvantage as the market becomes oversaturated, leaving audiences overwhelmed and paying less attention to online ads. Therefore, there is a growing demand for more personalised, tangible experiences that have a lasting impact on the viewer. A recent study by Printweek found that an impressive 95% of physical mail is engaged with, making it an effective way to stand out from the buzzing crowd.
Direct mail is also a great way to create a physical connection with your audience, as it encourages the sense of touch, which can be more memorable. Market research by The Royal Mail also found that direct mail is a highly trusted communication channel; with 87% of people considering mail to be believable, compared to just 48% for email, which is a unique advantage in times of uncertainty and growing consumer scepticism.
Targeted direct mail can be personalised and speak directly to your readers' needs, interests, and preferences. This further strengthens the relationship with the consumer and increases the likelihood of conversion.
Print and digital marketing efforts should work in harmony, using the advantages of both mediums to strengthen your marketing strategy. Personalised direct mail can be seen as a bridge between offline and online channels. By incorporating QR codes and URLs that lead to purpose-built landing pages, direct mail can effectively capture your audience's attention and lead them to your website or social media channels, as “30% of mail leads to consumer action through purchases and website visits" - Printweek (May, 2023).
Leading visitors to a landing page that is optimised for conversions allows you to track, measure, and analyse the results of your campaign. You can track the amount of traffic driven to your page via the QR code or unique URL. Creating a special offer as part of your campaign by adding a custom promotional code further helps you track conversions that are a result of the direct mail campaign.
Amazon created a physical "Holiday Kids Gift Book” showcasing a wide range of toys, games and other fun activities for children. They sent the catalogues to a targeted audience and incorporated QR codes and specific URLs, linking to the direct product pages on Amazon's website. This integrated approach combined the tactile experience of a printed catalogue with the convenience of online browsing and purchasing, effectively driving engagement and boosting sales during the festive season.
BT used data to target households with poor broadband speeds. They posted letters with an eye-catching and creative message on the envelope: “We were going to email you, but we think your broadband’s too slow, so it was quicker to post you this”. Getting their point across without even needing to open the letter, BT saw a high response and conversion rate.
IKEA wanted to increase email newsletter sign ups, so they sent out a letter designed to resemble embroidery, catching the recipient's attention. The letter encouraged recipients to sign up for IKEA's email newsletters to receive exclusive offers, design inspiration, and updates. They used a custom URL to drive traffic to their newsletter sign ups form on their website. The campaign sought to enhance customer engagement and provide a platform for ongoing communication and marketing efforts.
To ensure the success of your integrated campaign, it is important to follow these best practices:
Tailor your campaign to your target audience: Identify target audience segments from your consumer database and create campaigns around their needs and interests.
Have a consistent design and message: Ensure your direct mail design and messaging is consistent with your branding and tone of voice.
Use sustainable paper: Print is often mistakenly criticised as more damaging to the environment than digital alternatives. Ensuring your print is printed on carbon-captured paper, like the service we provide in partnership with the Woodland Trust, ensures that the environmental impact of your direct mail campaign is minimal.
Drive recipients to a purpose-built landing page: Using a QR code in your direct mail to drive traffic to a landing page that is optimised for conversions.
Track and measure your results: Utilise the results from the QR code and customer data input from the landing page to analyse your campaign’s effectiveness. Record this data to help improve future campaigns.
Integrating direct mail with digital marketing offers a powerful approach to cut through the digital noise and engage with your target audience in a tangible and memorable way. By leveraging the strengths of both print and digital mediums, you can create personalised experiences, drive online engagement, and enhance brand recognition. With careful planning, consistent messaging, and sustainable practices, you can leverage the power of print and digital marketing to achieve incredible results for your business.
We can help you with the whole process, from design and content, to delivering the direct mail, to developing an optimised landing page and tracking performance.
