Direct Direct mail marketing is actually still outperforming its online counterpart, according to The Gazette, a local newspaper in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The newspaper reported on the results of a study released in October by the Direct Marketing Association, conducted by professors John Deighton of Harvard University and Peter Johnson of Columbia University. The researchers found that “traditional offline marketing,” which includes direct mailers, was a $93.6 billion industry in 2012. Online marketing, which includes electronic ads, targeted emails and selling information to brokers, is worth about $62 billion.
There still is a contingent of people that like to hold something in their hands, read their mail and use it in conjunction with technology. People do get caught up in everything digital but hard copy paper still works.
There is however a strategy to combine digital with direct mail and that is by using PURLs.
PURLs are perfect for measuring marketing and response rates, helping marketers determine where their viewer comes from. The term “pURL” is short for “personalized URL.” With pURL direct marketing, each recipient receives a personalized website address to visit in a direct mail communication.
For example, let’s say that you are sending a postcard marketing your company’s new service, and John Smith is one of the recipients of the direct marketing piece. The message on the card might direct the receiver to visit
www.servicecompany.com/JohnSmith to find out more. When John Smith visits the corresponding page, his own personalized website, he sees content that is specifically designed according to him (name, address, interests, etc.).
The customized content might mention a recent purchase or a recommended product or service for the future.
This is the ideal marketing combination utilizing direct mail.
The personalized nature of pURL marketing can measure the marketing as well as increase the return on investment for the direct mail expenditure. Customized, personalized marketing increase response over generic messages.
PURLs can also be used to guide prospects and customers to customized landing pages to collect additional information. There is a significant trend right now of data playing a more significant role in all of marketing. PURLs help gather the appropriate data.
In summary, direct mail has changed but is not dead. It actually can be synergistic with other marketing leading to higher