Building Products Marketers Should Remember Direct Mail
As B2B building products marketers, it’s hard to resist the allure of the new and shiny. After all, it’s our job to push the envelope, develop new and exciting creative, and experiment with marketing tactics that drive results. But it’s also our job to use tried and true tactics that are proven to still have relevance in today’s marketplace.
A lot of marketers will be quick to tell you that direct mail is not one of those tactics—that it’s “old school” and doesn’t have the impact that digital/social/email all do. But marketers in the building industry would do well to learn what those in the fashion industry have proven time and time again: that everything comes back in style.
A recent study commissioned by Canada Post reveals that direct mail is no exception to the rule. In fact, according to this article in Marketo’s blog, direct mail still proves effective for B2B marketers, even in a predominantly digital age. Here are a few of the statistics from the study that you can’t miss:
- 70% of people are curious to find out what’s in their mailbox. I wonder if as many feel the same about their email inbox.
- 64% visited a website in reaction to direct mail. And typing in a website takes a lot more effort than clicking a button…
- 51% prefer a combination of both mail and email. You may think digital is cool, but your audience might be sick of it. Mix it up.
Marketers get excited about the many new and different tools, communications channels, etc. available to us. And that’s okay; we see some cool and useful technology in our line of work, and these tools can be both fun and effective at driving results for our sales. But sometimes “old school” thinking works—when it’s right for your audience.
Take, for example, one of our clients, a major building products distributor. Many would say that fax is “old school” and no longer an effective marketing technique in the modern age; however, we conducted a survey last year of this client’s 10,000+ marketing list and discovered that fax is the second most preferred communication tactic by the audience. Ignoring a clear referendum from our audience simply because it seems “old school” would be ridiculous. And the same is true of direct mail, which continues to be effective, as the study proves.
Don’t get stagnant or miss out on conversion opportunities because you think you’re too cool for “old school.” You’re not. In fact, no marketer is too cool for something that drives measurable results.
But don’t take my word for it—the proof is in the numbers. Check out the full article for more direct mail insights.
