In an online world in which we expect to receive content as quickly as possible, it’s refreshing to remember that direct mail remains a successful tool for businesses as well.
A recent study from Target Analytics has found that direct mail has been especially useful for non-profits, bringing in 78 percent of donations for various organizations. More specifically, this equals out to be $8 of every $10 donated.
This marketing tool has often been deemed as a source for junk mail, but statistics prove that many consumers will more likely donate to an organization when they receive the information directly via traditional direct mail. That being said, marketers should also know that they cannot simply send any irrelevant and impersonal communication they wish to their customers. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, precision marketing, driven by data, can help businesses to connect with consumers by providing relevant recommendations to them.
To prove this fact, Target Analytics looked at transactions from 79 different large non-profit organizations, which included 38 million donors and more than 74 million gifts with a combined revenue of over $2 billion. Over a 12 month period, they found that although direct mail is the preferred method, the Internet is quickly growing as the second method of choice. Only 4 percent of revenue for non-profits came from the Internet in 2005, and in 2009 this number increased to 9 percent.
NonProfitExpert.com has also noted that direct mail is the best way to reach donors. With direct mail, complete packages describing the organization and what they do offer a better understanding of new programs and benefits for donors, which may even entice individuals to become volunteers for the non-profit.
And what’s the first thing consumer advocates tell you when responding to a non-profit organization soliciting via telesales? Get it in writing. This study just goes to show that although we do live in a high tech world in which information can be sent with the click of a mouse, sometimes the direct approach is truly the best approach. Print is still a vital communications avenue, and the most trusted.
So what do you think? Will direct mail continue to be a communications avenue for your company?
Keep checking InfoPrint Insights for more on this topic in the coming weeks. We’ve been working with a number of experts in the field who believe, like us, that direct mail is a vital communications vehicle and we’ll be sharing their insight with you as well. Stay tuned!
Don Dew
ADF Solutions Manager
Tags: Direct Mail, Precision Marketing, USPS