by Brittany Kiernan on April 17, 2022
For digital advertisers, it is not all sunshine and rainbows. There are many challenges unique to the digital scene that no one is discussing.
Not too long ago, ads were the final product of days, weeks, or even a months of careful research and imaginative work. Promotions from Coca-Cola, Kodak, McDonald's, and even Marlboro cigarettes, for better or for worse, established many notorious brands into our nation's DNA.
Today, the advertising scene has, on a very basic level, changed significantly. Commercials now streak before our eyes at rapid speeds. Each time we seek, stream, watch, read, scroll, click, or swipe, we are saturated by promotions. Think about it - the average individual spends almost two hours for each day, which gives advertisers plenty of opportunity to promote their products.
Being constantly bombarded with advertisements has led to the development of a process among us that causes us to ignore ads or skip them. Research shows that only about 100 out of 5000 advertisements gain real attention from us.
These types of digital advertisements tend to cause annoyance, rather than urge us to know more about the brand or products/services that are being advertised. Everyone knows that annoying feeling when you’re in the middle of watching a video, and you’re interrupted by an ad. Consumers are becoming irritated, and usually do not have the intention of knowing about the brand being advertised.
This made digital marketers think of ways to draw the attention of customers without making them annoyed. It was found that there are basically two reasons for these digital advertisements not getting proper attention - one being the annoyance that these ads create, and secondly, that these ads have a very poor quality of context or videos which fail to capture the attention of potential customers. In the digital age, advertising is inevitable. But with the right methods, strategies, and targeted messaging, businesses can promote themselves without annoying potential customers through many different mediums.
This analysis made businesses think twice about the digital ads they were publishing. They used to spend millions of dollars and quality time to design and develop ads that turned out to be useless, to gain the business growth that they wanted. The goal was always to gain more customers, and gauge how to market effectively.
Some tried printed materials in various forms, like flyers and posters, that failed to draw the attention of digitally-minded customers. So, after a lot of research and speculation, it was concluded that direct mail marketing is the best way to advertise a business, by putting their advertisements directly into the hands of potential customers.
Yes, you may be surprised that in this digital era, direct mail is thought to be the most effective form of marketing.
There is no click and delete option: Any other form of digital marketing, whether it be email, or regular digital ads that appear, can be clicked and deleted by the receiver. The messages can be marked spam and will never be delivered to a particular email address. This option of clicking and deleting is not possible when you are holding a piece of marketing material in your hands. This type of marketing is physically in the mailbox of the desired customer.
Research shows that 65% of customers who received direct mail, and are above the age of 15, have made a purchase after receiving direct mail from a business. It has also been studied that the conversion of potential customers to become valued customers due to direct mailing is 30 times higher than that of other forms of marketing.
A more engaging method of marketing: Customers are bombarded with advertisements each and every moment. It is not considered what state the customer is in but the inflow of advertisements continues. You may be relaxing or having a meeting when your Smartphone or other electronic device is bombarded with such digital ads. This creates more annoyance more than engagement.
This isn’t the case with direct mail marketing. You may be receiving a mailed advertisement, but you can have a look at it whenever you feel like it. Moreover, these direct advertisements may have QR codes or other interactive means of communication, which can help customers get to the site of your business, and buy whatever service or product you are selling.
Less competition: Name a company, and you will be able to locate a digital ad from them in the online arena. Every business is trying to occupy space in the digital sphere, and to capture the attention of potential customers. The competition is much higher on the Internet compared to direct mailing.
Companies concentrate more on digital advertisements, so the mailbox of a potential customer is relatively empty, only having some utility bills or birthday cards. The direct mail received is usually kept by a consumer for some time on their desk, and will usually be read. This form of advertising offers a more effective route for communication with customers than digital marketing, in an environment that isn’t as competitive in nature.
Don’t just mail paper: When you are utilizing digital marketing, you can’t send anything tangible by promoting an ad to a consumer. Instead of just a message, with direct mail you can send them other items as well.
Through direct mail, you can send your potential customers a variety of promotional items, like pens, notepads, keychains, and other items to make them not only aware of your products, but maybe give them a better feel for who you are as a company. This definitely takes advertising a step further and can set you apart from digital ads.
Having a tangible product in their hands, customers will remember you more than they would from just watching your ad online.
A better way to build loyalty: Direct mail offers the best way to build loyalty. Potential customers can make their own judgments about your business when they receive direct mail from your director. This shows that your business values their importance which you have shown, causing a potential customer show his or her loyalty by becoming a valued customer of yours.
People love to open mails: It is a ritual, not a habit, that is still practiced by most, that people go to their mailboxes and sort through their mail by opening them one-by-one. So, if an organization can get themselves into that ritual by sending direct mail in a cost-effective and attractive way, then it is much more likely that they will be able to grow their business.
Direct mail has a lot of power and influence when it comes to effectively selling and promoting your products and services than digital ads do.
If you’re looking to enhance your marketing strategy and reach more customers, consider using direct mail as a prominent method in your customer acquisition and retention programs.
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