Direct Response Marketing: 5 Statistical Reasons Why

Nearly every business I come across believes online marketing is ‘THE WAY’ to increase sales; that all they have to do is ‘crack the code’ and money will instantly pour in. They forget that digital marketing is just one piece of media, just one of many ways to compel a customer to do business with you.

People who fall prey to the pressures of internet marketing and social media have forgotten – or have never known - the power of ‘old’ media ie direct response mailings delivered via an old fashioned post-box. Even if you aren’t struggling with Pay per Click, SEO and FaceBook, here are 5 statistics* that should convince you to reconsider the sales power behind a powerful piece of direct response copy.

1.  55% report ‘greater enjoyment’ from regular mail rather than e-mail

Perhaps surprisingly, this 55% are people in the 18-39 age bracket ie the ‘younger generation’. Letters, flyers and other things on pieces of paper have a physicality that they like. Whatever the reason, you ignore this statistic at your peril!

E-mail is seen as a bore and a chore. Despite its ‘speed’, it can be hugely time-consuming. More and more people are taking time out to read something ‘off-line’ – it’s developing a real novelty value.

So it’s dangerous to assume that people under 40 want to spend their lives with their heads stuck inside a computer. And, whatever your age, there is an argument that says one focused marketing letter will cut through the clutter much more effectively than hundreds of e-mails and tweets.

2. 85% say they ‘open, sort, process and read’ selected mail every day.

Many people like the physical act of holding mail. It’s certainly much easier to prioritise a stack of letters than a deluge of online stuff. As a marketer, letters give you a much better chance of landing in the ‘A’ pile – especially if you pay attention to your envelope and make sure it arouses interest and curiosity.

3. 40% have tried a new business after receiving direct mail

Good sales letters work.  Just ask Gary Halbert. He believes that, ‘the answer to every business problem is a good sales letter’. If you don’t have one (or even two or three), it’s time you did. But please don’t just dust down last year’s letters. Learn how to craft a new one. An interesting and compelling sales letter is still one of the most cost-effective and measureable pieces of marketing fire-power in your arsenal.

4. 70% renewed a relationship with a business they stopped using

Don’t assume that clients who have left you won’t come back. Sometimes, all you have to do is give them some special attention plus a jolly good REASON. If you allow them to forget you, they will.

So, tell them about your new product or service. Alert them to new savings. Show them you care. It’s much more cost-effective to regain an old customer than to win a new one.

5. 75% examine their mail more closely for ‘coupons’

Today, people think more carefully before they buy. Your customers are mentally conditioned to seek out good deals and bargains. While online offers might attract interest, the physicality of a printed coupon often generates a greater sense of urgency. Coupons are also good for hooking anyone who’s not quite made their mind up or is looking for the ‘reason’ to use your services again.

Effective marketing aims to cut through the clutter, attract the attention of the reader and get them to act. It’s no surprise that some of the great marketers of the past, such as Claude Hopkins, David Oglivy, John Caples and Gary Halbert, all swore by the power of direct response marketing. It delivered great results for them – and a lot of money too.

By all means, experiment with what is hot and new. But it is financial folly to deliberately ignore direct mail with its tried and tested track record.

[*ThePrintCouncil.Org; DM-News/Pitney-Bowes 2008 Direct-Mail Survey]

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