Direct mail works harder in lockdown blog

Direct mail is working harder during lockdown

Get the most out of your marketing campaigns during lockdown 2.0

The last lockdown saw a boom in certain kinds of services such as online retail, video conference technology (and Netflix!)  but you may be surprised to know that more traditional print media also saw a resurgence, enjoying the captive audience of a household at home for months on end.

Although the digital world has helped us connect, nothing can quite match the engagement that takes place with a physical item that lands on your doormat. When we are bombarded with electronic messages day in day out, the tangible stands out, is noticed and looked at for longer. Indeed, when Boris needed to deliver a vital message to the nation back in April, he chose to send a letter!

Lockdown insights

Research carried out by JICMail compared Q2 2019 with Q2 2020 and discovered that record-breaking levels of interaction with mail took place during lockdown. The research took 1,000 UK nationally representative households and assessed the reach, frequency, lifespan, how long kept at home and interactions with business mail, addressed advertising mail and door drops.

Engagement statistics:

  • A record 96% of all mail was engaged with
  • All mail was interacted with 4.5 times
  • 16% of mailed items resulted in some form of online behaviour
  • 56% of mail was still active in the home after 28 days

Overall, there was year on year uplift in engagements with all the different types of mail, as it was increasingly opened, read and filed away.

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If you’re investing heavily in digital at the moment, then mail can alleviate some of the issues with excessive online frequency that can cause people to switch off, or worse, unsubscribe to your communications. JICMails’s research concludes that mail does more than just elicit a response. It actually prompts a commercial action – eg generating household discussion or acting as a significant driver of online traffic.

So how to get the most out of your campaigns this Autumn?

  • Carefully consider your core objectives this autumn. Are you just trying to raise awareness of your business, drive online traffic or communicate a specific message? Ensure your mailing piece clearly reflects your goals and has a clear call to action (CTA).
  • Leverage local data to deliver personalised physical communications that will resonate with the recipient. Think about how you can deliver empathy or show that you care at a time when many of us are feeling anxious, lonely or in need of a metaphorical hug.
  • QR codes have risen to the fore and can be incorporated to clearly signpost recipients to helpful online content. This prominent CTA will help you easily measure response, conversion and your ROI.
  • Maximise your marketing and CRM toolkit, and think multi-channel for the win. Use print media to build awareness and drive traffic online. Awareness is far more likely to be converted into digital action following engagement with a mailer.

As we’re set to be spending at least the next few weeks in lockdown, and probably the next few months socially distancing, you’re likely to get more bang from your buck than ever when investing in a direct mailing campaign.

How can we help you with a campaign?

Our design team can help you quickly come up with some ideas and using our household data source, can help you plan a campaign. We have a number of ‘off the shelf’ mailers set up on our new virtual marketing hub, ready to brand with your logo and update with your contact information.

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Our state-of-the-art-iGen digital printers are ideally suited for short print runs and having an on-site mailing house means we can manage your whole campaign from start to finish.

We’re also delighted to be able to offer you really cost-effective postage – we can send out a mailing piece from 30p an item.

Contact our print manager Emily on 0118 977 0690 or email emily.mitchell@nichecom.co.uk for more information or to place an order. Find out more about our marketing and print services



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