Our Love for Snail Mail Still Holds Strong

72% enjoy checking the mailbox for postal mail

New research has revealed what many of us have long known: consumers love good old fashion snail mail. Research conducted by Epsilon in 2012 found that the vast majority of consumers prefer direct mail over email and internet marketing for fifteen out of eighteen different markets including a health, financial services, insurance, nonprofits, household products and services, and retail.

In looking at American respondents, 59% agreed with the statement, “I enjoy getting postal mail from brands about new products” and 72% agreed, “I enjoy checking the mailbox for postal mail”. Conversely, only 39% agreed with the statement, “I enjoy getting emails from brands about new products”.

Some of the most interesting findings revolved around the concept of trust, indicating increasing privacy concerns amongst consumers. The researchers found that the least trusted sources of marketing are radio, email, and social media sites.

The good news is that once a consumer trusts a company they are more willing to receive offers through channels such email and social media. This lends itself well to developing multichannel marketing approaches that focus on obtaining trust through more expensive forms of marketing such as direct mail, personal contact, and SEO and then maintaining relationships with consumers through less expensive forms of marketing such as email newsletters and social media.

While research continues to show that consumers love snail mail, sending out a direct mail piece is no guarantee of positive return on investment. Download our free guide to direct mail success and learn how to be a direct mail super star.

Check out the full report here.

By: Cheneile Norasaeng