October 25, 2022

Top 5 Trends in Direct Mail 2022

Digital Fatigue has become a growing issue throughout the pandemic and it is not going away anytime soon. Today, we are digitally overstimulated and it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out amongst the noise and connect with customers. While having an online presence still holds importance, companies need to be sure that they are getting creative and reaching their customers through other methods. Direct mail marketing is a critical component for B2B and B2C companies alike and has shown to have the highest response rates, conversion rates, and ROI — all at the lowest cost.

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Less Copy

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In recent years, we have seen a change in consumers' attention spans everywhere. With so much content at our disposal and everyone fighting for our attention, it is important to ensure that you are keeping your copy short and concise so that your message reaches your audience before they move on.

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Tips for creating attention-grabbing content:

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Make it scannable - Work to make your copy easily scannable for your audience, highlighting key components by utilizing headings and subheadings. We recommend incorporating bullet point formatting as it’s easier for consumers to digest large amounts of information.

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QR codes - Do you have some information that you simply cannot cut short? Try incorporating a QR code on a mail piece to help you decrease your copy while allowing you to share your necessary information. You can even use this QR code to share a short video walking them through the information.

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Incorporate visuals - Remember to keep your work visually engaging by using imagery to break up your copy. This will help hold the attention of your readers and make it easier for them to scan as well. We have also seen an increase in the use of infographics which makes dense content easier to digest.

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Personalization

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With new advancements in technology, companies are shifting away from mass mail to more targeted and personalized campaigns. This not only helps to cut down on costs, but it also helps to keep customers and prospects more engaged — increasing ROI.

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Creating personalized mail pieces is more than simply slapping on the recipient's name. The goal is to make it appear as though each piece has been specifically designed and printed for the recipient. To accomplish this, utilize data to help you speak to the specific needs of your recipient based on things like their spending and browsing trends.

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Some examples include:

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Special offers and messages that are unique to the individual customer — maybe they left something in their cart or just recently made their first purchase with you.

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Birthdays, membership anniversaries, etc. This is a great and easy way to connect to your customers and let them know that you see them.

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Interactivity

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Increasing the interactive aspect of your direct mail can help with engagement and ensure you stand out in their mailbox. Think of incorporating features such as scan-to-purchase, QR codes, barcodes, augmented reality (AR), voice assistant, picture recognition, and more. USPS occasionally offers mailing promotions and incentives to help you promote best practices for integrating mail with new technology and print techniques.

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Postcards

Did you know that 2022 has been named “the year of the postcard” in some industries? This came about when the USPS increased the maximum size for a First-Class Mail postcard from 4.25″ x 6″ to 6″ x 9″ in August 2021. The extra space is something that companies are excited about as postcards are shown to be highly effective for customer mailings, and time-sensitive messages, and the perfect match for those shifting to less copy. The larger size is also helping companies to stand out and grab their recipient's attention in the battle of the mailbox.

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Digital Integration

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Direct mail has proven to be more effective than simply opting for digital-only methods of reaching a target audience. This is a result of the constant overstimulation online, impacting the overall reader attention span. This doesn’t mean you should cut out digital marketing altogether, but instead, try a multichannel approach that reaches your customers across different platforms and mediums. Currently, direct mail holds the highest response rate, but marketers have found the following when digital and direct mail are combined:

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