In today’s age of digital information, such as e-mails, text messages, video uploads, cloud storage services, and more, it may be tempting to think that paper communication has become completely obsolete, but this is not in fact the case. In some ways, despite the prevalence of digital communication (and in some ways because of its prevalence), print media still has a well established place in today’s business world of communication and advertising. Business big and small can take advantage of the ways direct mail lists, direct mail advertising, and more can reach out to customers, and for print work like this, a company can outsource this labor to printing companies all over the country. Printing companies in Tampa, for example, can work for Florida-based clients, and printing needs in California may be outsourced to wholesale printing in San Francisco or Los Angeles. How can print make an impact in today’s world?
The Power of Direct Mail
Direct mail has more effect than some people may even realize. For example, it has been determined that 66% of people are more likely to remember to use a voucher for something if that person has a physical copy to carry around, and about 92% of shoppers have said in surveys that they actually prefer direct mail for when they make purchasing decisions. Even younger generations, who make the most of the Internet, find appeal in direct mail marketing; in a recent survey, 90% of Millenials, or those born between 1982-1995, believe tat direct mail advertising is reliable. Print media can boost memory, which works to an advertiser’s advantage. A neuromarketing research project carried out by Canada Post determined that recall is usually 70% better among participants who had viewed direct mail instead of a digital ad. All of this suggests that today, people are overwhelmed with digital communication, and that paradoxically, older methods like paper have become fresh and innovative again.
Why Direct Mail?
According to Entrepreneur, modern adults are overwhelmed with e-mails, and not everything in their digital inbox even gets read, and sometimes, the entire inbox will be deleted, with unread ads and deal offers going with everything else. By contrast, Epsilon carried out a study and found that 77% of people sort through their physical mail as soon as they receive it, and the U.S. Postal Service’s own data shows that 98% of people check their direct mail every day. These statistics already give direct mail an advantage over emails, meaning that crafty advertisers can send messages through print media and avoid the overwhelming stacks of e-mails people struggle with, making their message more likely to be heard.
Direct mail and other print media have the advantage of trustworthiness; that is, no piece of paper mail will ever contain computer viruses, spam, malware, or spybots waiting to attack a computer or laptop. And some overzealous spam filters may block large parts of an email and render it useless, and attachments and links in emails are rightly regarded with suspicion, given the prevalence of phishing scams. An email can only attract a person’s attention with its name and subject line, but attempts to make it sound more attractive can end up making the recipient suspect a virus or phishing scam. A piece of direct mail, however, can advertise deals and local sales with flashy graphics and phrases without sending up red flags in the recipient’s mind. A piece of direct mail is only ever an ad, not a virus in disguise.
On the subject of displays, paper mail and print media can take advantage of their physical status in other ways. Promotional items such as pens, coasters, stickers, and more may come in direct mail as a bonus and make it more appealing, while an e-mail can only display itself on a computer screen. Even the mail’s envelope can be appealing; the envelope’s paper color and texture, a handwritten address, and more can add appeal and intrigue, not to mention a small package’s weight and dimensions, which can subconsciously make the recipient feel like they are receiving a gift. Fancy packaging can add to this power of suggestion.