Direct mail in a digital age

Blending new technology and old-school familiarity can spell future success.

            This story is part of our how-to series about creating direct mail that works. View other stories in the series or subscribe to Pop from Sappi today to receive an email when we post more.          

The envelope please…

As of 2024, investment in digital channels, including paid search, display, social media, online advertising, and email marketing, accounts for approximately 58% of total advertising spending in the United States. This shift reflects the growing importance of digital platforms in reaching and engaging consumers, though the growth rate in digital advertising is slowing as the market matures (Forrester, Nielsen).

As more companies shift their marketing budgets out of print, the advantages of direct mail have not only grown—they’ve been left open for the taking. In fact, direct mail has the highest rate of success in new customer acquisition compared to other marketing channels, according to Target Marketing. This comeback is surprising until you consider the side effects of digital marketing’s growth.

Print’s benefits are still unfolding

Customers are increasingly inundated with marketing messages—the average person receives nearly 3,000 in one day alone. As they get emails, text messages, digital media alerts and more, direct mail has become the less invasive form of communication.

The phrase “Don’t believe everything you read” has morphed into “Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet,” and recipients of all ages appreciate that they can control if and when they read a physical piece of mail.

Facebook joins direct mail with digital marketing to entice CEOs: A case study

Even the social media giant Facebook recognizes when paper is best to tell its game-changing digital success stories.

After a marketing conference for CEOs, Facebook sent the list of attendees a printed self-mailer that drove them to a microsite. Facebook was able to track its targets’ interests as well as digitally connect with potential customers, which achieved its campaign strategy goals.

The mailer’s creative graphics and energetic headlines were able to convey the interactive and dynamic nature of Facebook’s digital marketing platforms—all on paper.