Direct Mail v email

I once thought that direct mail was to be a thing of the past with the e revolution being the way forward. I guess a bit like the paperless office! My view has changed. With marketers constantly bombarding us with buy, buy, buy we are getting smarter at pushing their advance to one side. For example how many emails do you just junk without looking? The good news is that it's junk for ever.

Direct Mail Pros

The direct mail environment is a good one. Some people call direct mail "junk mail." But they use the term with a lot less anger than they do when they speak of "spam." When you read through your email, you're sitting at a desk staring at a monitor and you're busy. When you sort through your postal mail, you're probably much more relaxed and feel less put upon. This difference in receptivity is incalculably important.

Direct mail gives you the space you need to tell the whole story. If you write a compelling letter, readers will stay with you. They will not do this with an email.

In direct mail, you can use emotion. In your letter or flyer you can inspire, frighten, cajole, convince, make cogent arguments, and motivate. Readers just don't want that in an email. They want you to tell them the facts and get out. Which, for a writer like me is very limiting, indeed.

In direct mail you can include different pieces you can hold in your hand. I'm talking about a colorful flyer, a testimonial sheet filled with raves, objective product reviews, you name it. You never know what's going to capture a reader's interest or attention. With an email you get pixels on the screen and nothing more.

Email Pros

Email is cheap. Which is why spammers love it. They don't care whether response rates are low because their costs are negligible. If you want to reach a large number of people and have access to a solid, opt-in list, go for it. A test sure won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Email is fast. In two senses. Firstly, your production time is minimal. As soon as you get an idea to test, you can write a motivating email, and hit the send button. Secondly, your prospect gets your email instantly so responses can start pouring in within minutes. Speed, from start to finish, means you can be a super-agile marketer.

Email is great as a testing medium. As a result of the speed I mentioned above, you can get virtually instant answers to your marketing questions. Is a cross-sell offer going to be a winner? Send a group of prospects an email and you'll have an answer. Have you written two great headlines but can't decide which one to go with? Do some email testing and get your answer fast!

Downloadable fulfillment pieces are instantly accessible. For example, if you're offering prospects a White Paper filled with valuable information, they can click through to your landing page, fill in a little qualifying information, and download your White Paper in under two minutes.

Email Cons

The email "environment" is poor. Thanks to the spam avalanche, sorting through email messages is a real drag. That means your prospects are looking for messages from colleagues, family, and friends, and everything else is out. And fast.

Email messages should be (relatively) short. When prospects are going through their email, they want information quickly. So long copy is and complex offers are out.

Emails can be junked forever. With one click you email can be junked - forever, often without even opening the email.

Good email lists are difficult to find. List brokers promise you a high-quality "opt-in" list but you're often playing with fire. The simple fact is that the direct mail list business is a lot more mature and you can find ethical and helpful list brokers if you shop around.

Direct Mail Cons

Direct mail can be expensive. Obviously this depend on your ROI. You have postage, printing and fulfillment costs to consider, much of this costs a lot less now than 10 years ago. The bottom line? Direct mail can be the most cost effective solution but your front-end costs are going to be higher. But so may your response rates!

Final Thoughts

As you can see from the pros and cons listed above, email and direct mail both have their advantages. Direct mail is making a huge comeback as spammers continue to destroy a legitimate marketing channel and email filters become more and more effective.

My advice? Don't ignore the proven, money-making power of a letter, package or self-mailer!