Going Direct

Direct mail is one of the most viable marketing channels available, and it produces some of the highest levels of customer engagement and ROI. It cuts through the crowded digital ecosystem and connects with your target audience in a personal, tangible way.

Marketo's Definitive Guide to Engaging Email Marketing claims we see 2,904 messages every day, pay attention to 52, and remember only four. According to marketing advice firm Smart Insights, your message has a mere three seconds to gain the prospect's attention and another 12 seconds to capture interest and compel the prospect to act.

To cut through the noise surrounding your potential customers, you have to make your communication stand out and establish a connection. But if you rely only on digital forms of communication, you're missing an opportunity to make meaningful, one-on-one connections with your customers.

While print is still the most effective method of communication, combining it with digital can expand your reach and result in increased revenue. A multi-channel campaign increases the audience you're able to reach and makes the sum of your efforts more effective.

Research from the Rochester Institute of Technology suggests adding direct mail to your marketing mix can increase ROI by 20 percent. In one survey, 56 percent of respondents found printed material to be the "most trustworthy" of media channels. But print can't always produce results on its own. To act upon direct mail marketing, customers often have to go online to complete the conversion. Alone, each approach can only do so much, but together, they work to increase conversion, engagement and retention.

Looking for ideas for your next direct mail effort? Check out the following print marketing materials for some inspiration.

Variable Data Map Mailer
The most effective direct mail pieces are timely and personal. The variable data map mailer was geared toward people who were moving—when their need for a new bank, doctor, dry cleaner or car mechanic was at its peak. It features a tear-off map with directions from the new residence to the business location.