Direct mail marketing isn’t anything new. In fact, it has been around for a very long time, and even though it’s not the latest innovation in this landscape, it is still widely spread due to its efficacy.
If we say that it’s the cornerstone of marketing, it surely wouldn’t be an understatement, because, by virtue of it, organizations can quickly build rapport and connect with their consumers, by leveraging all kinds of tangible tools.
Just like many other things in today’s world, direct mail marketing has drastically evolved because it was impacted by various technological advancements. If you would like to know how all of this started, the real inception of direct mail marketing, then stay tuned to unveil some interesting facts about it!
Let’s Go Back In Time!
Back in the day, when direct mail was just getting started, everything about it was quite plain and simple. Companies reap the benefits of mass production to send messages (which were all the same) to millions and millions of people who they perceive as potential consumers.
This ordinary marketing method was quite popular in the 19th century and early years of the 20th century and it typically included huge amounts of brochures, postcards, and catalogs. Businesses would print out massive volumes of these things because they were hoping that by doing so, they’d be able to attract the attention of prospective clients.
This was an approach that a vast majority of firms resorted to because it was generally pretty cheap, yet was capable of reaching wider audiences. Back then, there was no such a thing as personalization, and brands were able to gauge the success of their campaigns by the amount of mails they sent out even though they didn’t have the slightest idea if the response rate was good or not.
Then Technology Came Into Play!
Although the first computer was invented long before the 1980s and 1990s, its advent during those decades changed everything as far as direct mail marketing goes. Organizations were finally able to store huge amounts of data, which helped them segment their potential customer more accurately.
Everything suddenly became simpler. Namely, thanks to the customer relationship management systems (CRM), along with the databases, brands were able to develop personalized mailings, as well as a direct mail marketing list, which made their mail campaigns far more efficient and relevant. And then the world welcomed variable data printing during the 1990s which has taken direct mail up a notch!
How come, you’re probably wondering? Well, once this occurred, companies had the chance to create customized content for their recipients, which came in the form of alluring offers, deals, greetings, and product recommendations.
Precisely this level of personalization stimulated their customers to become even more interested in these brands and all of their selections.
Catalogs Were A Big Part Of Direct Mail Marketing
Even though these days, catalogs aren’t mentioned a lot when the topic concerning direct mail marketing is brought up, it’s safe to say that they were real game changers when it comes to this.
So how did it all get started? Back in the late 1800s, Montgomery Ward decided to make drastic changes by simplifying it. His goal was to make things simpler for the rural farmers. He didn’t want them to waste their time and money by traveling to distant cities in order to obtain certain products.
That was the moment he created catalogs, which were definitely a huge deal then. Namely, they enabled farmers to acquire all kinds of goods, like clothing, equipment, and many other items from the comfort of their homes.
This was truly a massive discovery, and its main aim was to understand the needs, preferences, and demands of the consumers. It wasn’t only very wise, but beneficial too! Ward didn’t want to simply sell things, but he also wanted to completely transform the entire shopping experience and he succeeded in it!
This innovation resulted in a variety of different marketing strategies, that are still of huge importance!
Combining Direct Mail With Other Digital Channels
The 20th and 21st centuries brought numerous changes to this landscape, which were both challenging and useful for direct mail. Why is that? Well, in the beginning, most companies started flocking to various digital channels, such as social media platforms, emails, search engine marketing, etc.
That surely wasn’t good news for direct mail. On the flip side, a lot of businesses decided to incorporate numerous types of digital tools to boost their direct mail campaigns. Certainly, one of the biggest and most important developments when it comes to this was the merger of direct mail with different digital marketing efforts.
Markets started leveraging personalized URLs (also known as PURLs), social media links, and QR codes in their direct mail pieces because they want to develop an effortless connection between an online world and its physical counterpart.
This turned out to be an amazing idea because most recipients were able to easily transition from physical mail to digital one, and yet they were still able to get all the necessary information about certain services, products, buy things, etc.
Apart from all these integrations, the tech industry decided to open an exciting, brand-new era of innovative targeting capabilities. When various data analytics tools wrestled their way to the top, firms of all sizes were capable of targeting their direct mail campaigns more accurately.
By making use of geographic and demographic data, seasoned marketers could pinpoint their perfect audience with accuracy. For instance, a business could target different households based on various useful pieces of information, like their current financial situation, age ranges, shopping habits, and many other things, making sure that they reach only the ones who will truly be interested in their services and products.
Moreover, geographic filters took this type of targeting to the next level, allowing companies to shift all their focus to particular regions, zip codes, and other factors.
Just like many other things in the world today, direct mail marketing has experienced some major alterations through the years, and as you can see, it has become even more effective and relevant in the marketing landscape.
