Direct Marketing Statistics for 2022

While digital marketing has a far broader audience reach and is way more cost-efficient than traditional direct marketing, businesses should never dismiss the latter as an obsolete means of client communication. Because of technology, personalized mail printing by the bulk is now possible, so companies are spared from spending too much time and effort in customizing their promotional materials.

Still not convinced? Below you’ll find the latest statistics that will persuade you that direct marketing is far from dead.

General Statistics:

Direct mail has an open rate of 90%, a far cry from the 23% open rate of email marketing. This is because consumers, particularly millennials, prefer promotional materials that are tangible and can be read later, unlike emails which normally get ignored even if they are from a recognizable brand.
According to the Canada Post, people find direct mail more engaging than their digital counterparts. This is because opening a piece of mail is simpler and easier on the mind.
On average, the typical American household receives 2 pieces of direct mail each day compared to emails which can come by as much as a dozen. Their relative “rarity” makes 77% of Americans look forward to opening them.
Personalization holds tremendous power, and 70% of people believe direct mail is more personal than email. The mere fact that their names are printed on mail increases response rates by 135%.
The response rate to direct mail is as high as 37%. This is because people perceive a physical piece of mail as more “real” compared to the digital ones sent to their inboxes.
According to a study conducted by Triadex Services, consumers would love to receive direct mail from their preferred brands.

The bottom line: Direct mail is seen as a more archaic form of marketing, but based on these stats, it’s no wonder 63% of direct-to-consumer brands invest in direct mail marketing.

Trending Direct Mail Statistics:

Consumers spend an average of about 30 minutes sorting through and reading their mail, proving direct marketing is never going to become obsolete.
According to a recent study from Marketing Sherpa, 82% of Americans say that they generally trust print ads more than digital ones.
According to a recent study from Marketing Charts, 26% of 2,000 consumers interviewed say that direct mail ads help them create more sound purchasing decisions. Furthermore, 25% agree that they are most comfortable with traditional advertising, mostly direct mail marketing.
Catalogs, an example of direct marketing materials, are experiencing a huge surge in popularity these days. In fact, companies that utilize them see about $3–$9 in return for every $1 spent.
According to Marketing Charts, postcards and letters remain the most popular forms of direct mail campaigns for marketers.
According to a survey conducted by Lob and Comperemedia, a whopping two-thirds of over 150 companies interviewed say that direct mail marketing shows the best ROI compared to the other current marketing channels.
According to True Impact, direct mail is far more persuasive than digital media, with higher motivation response rates of over 20%.
According to the Association of National Advertisers, targeting customers one-on-one through direct marketing increases a business’s response rates by 50%.
According to Report Linker, since households tend to keep physical mail longer than emails, the average response rate for the former is between 2.7% to 4.4%, which is significantly higher than the latter at 0.6%.
According to PFL, multichannel ad campaigns which include direct mail have 20% higher ROI than campaigns that don’t.
According to Writers Block Live, businesses that opt to use direct mail and digital ads together lead to a 28% increase in conversion rates and a 450% increase in response rates.

The bottom Line: Direct mail advertising companies in the US generated $9.47 billion in revenue in 2020. All these prove that not only is direct marketing effective in generating revenue, but it is also a lucrative business in its own right.

Direct Marketing Statistics for Millennials:

Since it’s been established that millennials value companies that use direct marketing methods, it’s also worth noting that about 62% of them would rather read through the information on the advertising mail than throw it away without opening it.
82% of millennials place greater value on printed promotional materials compared to digital mail. They acknowledge the time it took to create, print, and send out direct mail, unlike emails that can be created quickly and sent out in mass.
According to USPS, a whopping 68% of millennials read print ads from retailers, including coupons and promotional ads.
According to Valassis, 72% of millennial parents have admitted that direct mail and other print ads influence what they purchase and don’t.
According to a study conducted by USPS, about 69% of millennials go through their mail to look for restaurant coupons, while 65% say they love getting retail business coupons.
According to an online survey from USPS, 58% of millennials say that they’re not that worried about direct mail when it comes to privacy compared to digital communications.
According to a study conducted in 2020 called “The Shop Shift,” 80% of 3,000 millennial respondents say that they are attentive to direct mail.
According to a consumer study conducted by USPS, millennials say that physical ads are more effective than digital campaigns in leaving a lasting impression.

The bottom line: Among all generations, millennials engage with direct mail the most. With great segmentation strategies, direct mail data is used to market products and services better. They’re just more used to it, and also because they feel more comfortable responding to a marketing channel, they have grown accustomed to it for many years.