Don’t Ignore Direct Mail in Today’s Social Media Marketplace

With the immediacy and excitement of social media, it’s easy to forget about direct mail. But this can still be a valuable part of your marketing strategy.

Here’s why:

Longevity. A tweet lasts for maybe a minute before it gets swallowed up in the feed with thousands of others. When someone receives a catalog or postcard, they’re likely to put it on a table or in a pile of other mail. When they revisit it later, they’ll be confronted with your message in their hands, able to spend some time with it.

Control. In the Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn medium, you can control only so much of how it looks. You’re still bound by the larger website, along with everyone else who uses it. When you send out a direct mailing, you design the entire package, choosing exactly how it looks and feels. You have an opportunity to send something out that’s going to really catch someone’s eye.

Reach. Even now, not everyone uses social media. Direct mail is still an effective way to ensure that your message will reach its audience, especially those over 50 years old. You can also personalize it in ways you can’t on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, because you’re sending each piece of information to one person directly rather than hundreds or thousands.

Are you still using direct mail?