While much of the marketing focus as of late has been on digital methods such as email marketing and social media, direct mail marketing still holds a lot of power in gaining and retaining guests, especially in the hospitality and resort industries.
Some tend to think direct mail has fizzled out or is too “old school”, but sending letters, flyers, brochures, etc. can still be an incredibly effective method for staying connected to your database. In fact, 50% of consumers 35+ say that direct mail feels more important than emails from a brand, and 62% say direct mail has inspired them to act.
What are the benefits of using direct mail?
There are several unique benefits to direct mail marketing, one being it sees less competition than email marketing. In 2023 alone, the number of sent and received emails per day exceeded 345 billion, and that number is only continuing to rise. On the flip side, the average U.S. household receives less than 400 pieces of mail per year.
Additionally, if you think direct mail only speaks to older generations, you may be mistaken. Younger generations such as Gen Z are enthusiastic about receiving direct mail from relevant businesses as they have grown up with digital marketing and direct mail is a unique form of outreach to them. And according to USPS, 67% of millennials use marketing mail as a prompt to go online. Not surprisingly, 50% of baby boomers say they prefer direct mail over digital marketing.
Studies have also shown that response rates for direct mail campaigns often exceed those of email campaigns. The Association of National Advertisers reported that direct mail campaigns generated 112% ROI in 2022, which is 19% more than email campaigns. Direct mail marketing is also more easily and accurately trackable in terms of ROI since there’s a direct throughline between amount invested and the metric that’s most important to you (i.e. response rate, conversion rate, etc.)
The Association of National Advertisers reported that direct mail campaigns generated 112% ROI in 2022, which is 19% more than email campaigns.
How to create an effective direct mail strategy
To achieve high response and conversion rates in your direct mail campaigns, it’s all about fine-tuning your messaging, offers, and call-to-actions. Response rates come down to the number of recipients who take action by visiting your website or reaching out to you, whereas conversion rates represent those who make a purchase, book a reservation, subscribe to a newsletter, etc. Direct mail tends to drive higher conversion rates relative to response rates because those who respond are likely to have greater intent to buy.
So, what can you offer your guests that will increase response and conversion rates through direct mail? You want to create an enticing offer with significant value that will be difficult to resist. For example:
- Custom promo codes & discounts (i.e. for your guests’ birthday or booking anniversary)
- Free room upgrade for your VIP guests
- Limited time offers to drive urgency
- Buy-one-get-one deals
- Reservation/booking specials
You also want your call-to-action (CTA) to be clear, simple, and easy to follow. The CTA can lead them to take various actions, whether that’s visiting your website, calling you directly, scanning a QR code that leads to a contact page or other dedicated landing page, etc. According to Postalytics, 62% of consumers say that direct email has inspired them to take action. And 64% say it was because of an offer or promotion.
In addition to your messaging, it’s also important to use thoughtful design when creating your direct mail and use visual elements to focus attention on the most important aspects of the piece (e.g., your offer and CTA). A well-crafted direct mail piece tends to stick in people’s minds longer than digital ads or email—in fact, according to data from The Guardian, the average lifespan of direct mail is 17 days. Keeping your messaging copy short and sweet also helps elevate the design aspect and ensure your audience’s eyes are being drawn to the right things. Pro Tip: Just as hyper-segmentation is paramount to digital marketing, it is just as imperative to include personalization in your direct mail marketing, as well. A survey by InfoTrends says 84% of consumers feel that personalization makes them more likely to open direct mail.
According to Postalytics, 62% of consumers say that direct email has inspired them to take action. And 64% say it was because of an offer or promotion.
Direct mail enhances your omnichannel messaging
Ultimately, implementing an omnichannel marketing approach is critical to an overall successful strategy as it allows you to reach your guests with the right message, at the right time, on the right channel. It also allows you to have multiple touchpoints with your prospects and existing guests and keeps you top of mind. Stacking channels such as direct mail, email marketing, and social media is a highly effective way to have an all-encompassing marketing strategy that will increase conversions, drive guest retention and increase direct revenue.
Want to learn more? Reach out to us today to discover how our guest data & marketing automation platform can help you implement direct mail into your omnichannel, multi-touch strategy.
