So which medium is more productive at motivating customers to do something? A printed direct mail piece or email?
You might as well ask, which kind of wine is better: cabernet or chardonnay?
The answer, needless to say, is "it depends." When it comes to print vs. email , both have pros and cons in certain circumstances.
But unlike the cabernet vs. chardonnay match-up, where you ordinarily wouldn't drink both with the same meal, the print/email comparison is often a distraction from the real insight, namely, to use both in the same campaign!
That's correct -- research has shown that campaigns which use both tactics do better than campaigns which use just one. In other words, direct mail and email strengthen one another.
Although 90% of customers prefer one form of communication over the other, using both does not seem to put them off. In fact, they are 50% more likely to respond to their preferred medium when it is combined with the other one! This statistic rises to 62% when digital campaigns are matched with direct mail.
Here are just a few of their complementary strengths:
* Snail mail pieces provide more detail while email serves up bite-sized chunks;
* Email is typically opened up right away, while direct mail may linger on kitchen counters and tables;
* Printed mail can generate responses for weeks while email responses peak quickly, then fade away just as rapidly
While all of this points to the effectiveness of a cross-channel email/snail mail marketing campaign, there are several caveats. For example, don't simply repeat the identical message in both media. Use the relative strengths of each to create a balanced, effective campaign.
You might direct-mail a long letter to your target market, then email the same group a reminder about it. Or, alternatively, you might email your audience and tell them an a special package is on its way so they can keep an eye open for it.
Indeed, it might even be a savvy move to send out an email blast, wait for the response, then ONLY mail to those prospects, as opposed to your entire target. Not only will you boost your response rate, you'll save advertising and marketing dollars by not mailing to your entire list.
If you do plan on using both media, it's important for each medium to talk about the other. For example, if you snail-mail a piece to a prospect who has responded to an earlier email, be sure to remind them of this so they'll recall they had asked for the mailing. (Even though, as marketers, we know that no marketing communications piece ever goes out to anyone who hasn't signaled their interest in some way)
Mention their earlier response to your email to super-charge your reponse rate through the well-known phenomenon of "brand-bonding by self-selection."
One final note: try to identify your prospect's preference for either email or print, then send them more of it, and less of the one they don't like. In fact, it might be wise to ask them directly which medium they would like NOT to receive, then fulfill their request if they do so. While cross-channel marketing is a very potent tool, it should never come at the expense of irritating your audience members who are totally turned-off by either of these two marketing methods.
You might as well ask, which kind of wine is better: cabernet or chardonnay?
The answer, needless to say, is "it depends." When it comes to print vs. email , both have pros and cons in certain circumstances.
But unlike the cabernet vs. chardonnay match-up, where you ordinarily wouldn't drink both with the same meal, the print/email comparison is often a distraction from the real insight, namely, to use both in the same campaign!
That's correct -- research has shown that campaigns which use both tactics do better than campaigns which use just one. In other words, direct mail and email strengthen one another.
Although 90% of customers prefer one form of communication over the other, using both does not seem to put them off. In fact, they are 50% more likely to respond to their preferred medium when it is combined with the other one! This statistic rises to 62% when digital campaigns are matched with direct mail.
Here are just a few of their complementary strengths:
* Snail mail pieces provide more detail while email serves up bite-sized chunks;
* Email is typically opened up right away, while direct mail may linger on kitchen counters and tables;
* Printed mail can generate responses for weeks while email responses peak quickly, then fade away just as rapidly
While all of this points to the effectiveness of a cross-channel email/snail mail marketing campaign, there are several caveats. For example, don't simply repeat the identical message in both media. Use the relative strengths of each to create a balanced, effective campaign.
You might direct-mail a long letter to your target market, then email the same group a reminder about it. Or, alternatively, you might email your audience and tell them an a special package is on its way so they can keep an eye open for it.
Indeed, it might even be a savvy move to send out an email blast, wait for the response, then ONLY mail to those prospects, as opposed to your entire target. Not only will you boost your response rate, you'll save advertising and marketing dollars by not mailing to your entire list.
If you do plan on using both media, it's important for each medium to talk about the other. For example, if you snail-mail a piece to a prospect who has responded to an earlier email, be sure to remind them of this so they'll recall they had asked for the mailing. (Even though, as marketers, we know that no marketing communications piece ever goes out to anyone who hasn't signaled their interest in some way)
Mention their earlier response to your email to super-charge your reponse rate through the well-known phenomenon of "brand-bonding by self-selection."
One final note: try to identify your prospect's preference for either email or print, then send them more of it, and less of the one they don't like. In fact, it might be wise to ask them directly which medium they would like NOT to receive, then fulfill their request if they do so. While cross-channel marketing is a very potent tool, it should never come at the expense of irritating your audience members who are totally turned-off by either of these two marketing methods.
About the Author:
You can get expert advice on direct mail at Commercial Letter, in St. Louis Mo. Stop by the Commercial Letter site and click here to learn about their SnailWorks, coordinated direct marketing program.
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