In the days of yonder… at a past time in the history of direct mail, everyone with a mailbox got the same mailing. Occupant eventually became a code name for “here is your junk mail.” But it started to increase sales, so more companies got on the band wagon and started using direct mail.
These ancient forms of basic marketing awareness presumed that everyone would love to have your product or service. Thankfully, curiosity may have killed the cat, but not the people behind direct mail marketing. Someone in the boardroom decided to cut costs, let’s mail less, and only to the people who want our product!
What started in the 80’s hit reality in the dawning of the 21st Century.
In the Roaring 90’s period of direct marketing, response in the mail industry, we found personalization, custom offers, databases to segment better and a host of other innovations, causing one of the greatest growth spurts in the direct marketing and mail industry.
Then suddenly, the internet became a way of life to communicate with others. First, there was email and then social media such as Facebook. Another swift wide hook to the envelope hit first class mail. Then, get and pay your bills online was supported many companies.
All good things ended…
In the last five to seven years, there has been a tsunami of innovative products, a plethora of communication delivery channels and untold costs that inflected damage to the users and providers of direct mail. All this innovation has created an alternative lifestyle for millions of people worldwide.
Direct mail has always had competition, but now that competition has doubled and even tripled in the digital revolution. Many of the successful companies realized that direct mail still has a lot of sales potential. Your message goes right into the mailbox, where people check for mail.
These innovative companies now pair direct mail with other communication channels. Their websites may have specific landing pages for interested parties. Others are using shortened links or other forms of social media.
If your prospect or customer has a mailing address, there are many ways to use direct mail successfully.
