Postal Marketing Vs Email Marketing
Postal marketing vs email marketing is a common debate in marketing. As we are living in a digital age, do you follow the trend and commit to digital marketing? Alternatively, do you go for a more traditional marketing approach? The answer is not always obvious and will differ depending on your business, target market or industry etc.
There are pros and cons to both methods which you must consider before you undertake either. However, both also have the potential to dramatically increase your brand awareness and sales when undertaken effectively.
In this post, we will look at both sides of the coin. As a full marketing agency, we offer both services to our clients so we see the benefits they bring to businesses firsthand.
Postal Marketing
Postal marketing (or direct mail as it is often called) has been making a comeback in recent years. Although many businesses may see it as a thing of the past, its usage has been increasing year on year. Data has been crucial with this. It allows for more accurate targeting which ensures that you only mail to individuals or businesses that will be interested in what you sell. Furthermore, what really sets it aside from other marketing mediums is that it is tangible. It includes printed marketing materials that prospects can hold and interact with.
Its memorability factor is therefore higher than other marketing methods as people will often look through a leaflet they receive in the post. In fact, research has found that roughly 75% of individuals could recall the brand after seeing a piece of direct mail marketing. This compares to 44% when the same was done following an email marketing message.
Postal marketing also comes across as higher value. While the cost of printing and posting may be higher than undertaking other marketing methods, the final product reflects this. Prospects see direct mail as more official and reliable as the quality of the marketing is so high.
As less companies undertake postal marketing, this helps you stand out from your competitors as your marketing can make a welcome change from one of many emails in their inbox. With stand out designs, offers and personalisation, your prospects feel valued when they receive your marketing. As marketing is a process of building relationships and trust, high quality direct mail helps achieve this.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most popular forms of marketing in today’s world. As mentioned above, we are living in a digital age. Therefore, many companies incorporate digital marketing into their overall strategy. It can be a more cost effective option than direct mail and with the correct data list, you can get in front of thousands of your prospects at once.
Email marketing also presents a more convenient option for businesses. Smartphone use is increasing every year and has presented companies with new mobile marketing techniques. Over half of all emails sent are now opened on a mobile device. Many people check their emails while on the go, at their own convenience. Therefore email marketing allows you to reach someone at anytime and they do not have to be at home, unlike direct mail.
Reporting and tracking is also easier with email marketing. Broadcasting platforms track emails so they can see who has opened an email, clicked a link, what link they clicked etc. This gives great insight for businesses as they can see exactly what is working and not working with their marketing.
However, email marketing has much higher competition. Many companies utilise it, meaning that your email can be one of many sitting in a prospect’s inbox. A lot less time is spent checking and reading through emails and unfortunately, many are deleted without being read. There are steps you can take to avoid this however, such as using high quality data and an enticing subject line.
A Combined Strategy
With marketing, it is foolish to put all of your eggs in one basket. Being solely reliant on only one form of marketing is risky and a potential waste of crucial budgets. Both postal marketing and email marketing have different benefits, but they can also work together for the benefit of the business. Marketing through multiple channels is also known as cross-channel marketing. This gives you the greatest brand awareness as your company is seen on a variety of different platforms.
Consider sending an initial email notifying of a brochure that is coming through the post. Alternatively, you can send further correspondence in the post to individuals/businesses that opened and click through on your email campaign.
Furthermore, different demographics are more receptive to different mediums. If your product/service has widespread appeal, only marketing through one medium may mean that a large portion of your target market does not even see it. Cross-channel marketing means greater brand awareness as your brand name is out there on more platforms. So rather than seeing postal and email as one of the other, they can easily be an effective marketing pair.
It is crucial that before you undertake any marketing, you first conduct market research. This will give you great insight into what is working for other companies in your industry. This will prevent you from wasting any crucial financial resources down the line on marketing methods that are not as lucrative for your industry.
Summary
Both postal marketing and email marketing can greatly increase your brand awareness and help build relationships with your prospects. However, your business should not necessarily only go with one option. Different marketing methods can all work together and give you greater exposure and therefore, sales.
As Impact Marketing are a full marketing agency, we offer both direct mail and email marketing services. Alternatively, we offer a range of other marketing services and data lists.
If you would like anymore information about the above, please get in touch today and a member of the team will be happy to advise further.