Direct Mail Marketing in 2022

Feb 7, 2021

2021 was another year in which we were able to observe the fast-paced evolution of marketing tactics and strategies kicked into high gear at an exponential rate. Online retailers recovered from the 2020 holiday season and integrated new tools, direct mail tactics saw a revival, and the marketing industry discovered that consumers really wanted to reclaim the human connection. Of course, those immersed in marketing specialties are fully aware that the landscape is ever-changing, but what did 2021 teach us about adapting to the needs of the consumer in 2022? Direct mail marketing in 2022 has some unique opportunities to fill consumer needs while implementing new and newly remembered components. Let’s take a look!

What Did We Learn About Marketing in 2021?

With more people staying home, digital tactics like email blasts, and social PPC targeting inundated consumers with a constant stream of generalized messaging and, in many cases, an overwhelming amount of what they considered spam content. Due to a lack of physical numbers in-store, businesses had to shift to reaching those people at home. An estimated 6.4 billion people own a smartphone and let’s face it  – most of us are connected to our emails, social media, and favorite sites through these tiny handheld devices.

The customer experience starts with ongoing, initial touchpoints, which means it starts with our marketing strategies. Consumer demographics show that the majority of us desire personalized one-on-one experiences, brand engagement, and brand transparency.

We learned that consumers wanted more out of the brands they engaged with. They wanted more personalized messaging, more one-on-one experiences. They wanted to be seen, heard, and they wanted to really know there was someone behind the direct message or email. We also learned that crafting the perfect, well-thought-out, sincere, and directly targeted messages played a key role in conversions. Once someone felt like they had our attention, they felt more confident in following through with their purchase. Cue direct mail strategies being reintroduced as a key element to marketing plans in industries of all types.

The importance of data analytics also emerged as an imperative means to ensure marketers were able to really dial into the personalized needs of their clients, constituents, donors, and patrons. The USPS rolled out their informed delivery incentive program, which helped initiate interest for business owners to better collect data from consumer response to direct mail campaigns. It also helped businesses track information regarding cross-platform efforts, and in effect, allowed businesses to use their budgets more wisely and change their strategy for better results in the future.

Direct Mail Marketing in 2022 – What Should We Expect?

Considering everything we learned from 2021, that leaves us in an even better position for the 2022 marketing year. By adding more data to our toolboxes, we understand our target audience better than ever before, or at least we now have the opportunity to do so. It takes on average, 8 consumer touchpoints to snag that conversion. This is up by one touchpoint in previous years!

Touchpoints come in a variety of forms. Billboards, radio ads, social PPC ads, mailers, fliers, coupon booklets, catalogs – the list goes on and on. While digital ads have seemingly dominated the touchpoint space for quite some time, as we mentioned previously, the consumers of 2020 and 2021 showed us that they were burning out! Less personalization meant they were just a number in the grand scheme of things. Below we’ve listed a few of the exciting trends we expect from direct mail marketing in 2022.

• Interactive direct mail components – We’ve talked about the QR code multiple times, but it’s not just for menus and coupons anymore! By adding a QR code to your mailers, you can send consumers to websites or pURLs, specific pages aimed at helping you track where your web traffic came from, and you can even use them as RSVPs to events. Of course, actual coupons still count too- adding this type of technology to your mailers can give your audience access to exclusive deals and specials.
• Postcard sizing – While there may have been an increase in postal rates, it came with a silver lining. The sizing regulations for larger postcards (up to 6 x 9)  now mean there’s a little more real estate for offers and messaging. That’s more bang for your marketing buck. Part of standing out in a stack of mail means different sizes, colors, call-outs and unique elements.
• Simpler messaging – The amount of copy on mailers is on the decline, and has been for over a decade. Capturing the attention of your audience mean concise, transparent messaging that inspires action.
  

  A direct mail QR code is just one of the many ways you can help keep consumers interested in your mailers. It also has the added benefit of directing someone to a website, creating an interactive and multi-platform experience – all the while enhancing response tracking.

• The customer experience– As we mentioned above, the majority of consumers now want to feel connected to the businesses and organizations they’re purchasing from and utilizing. It’s a package deal, and the importance of kicking off an exemplary consumer experience starts with those first 7 or 8 touchpoints. Creating integrative, omnichannel marketing campaigns that interact with and speak to one another, sets cllients and customers up for an experience they won’t forget!
• Continued focus on data analytics – We’ve come to a time when directly targeting specific demographics is necessary. In order to do that, the analytics sector has helped us begin to utilize incredibly efficient tools like Informed Delivery®, PPC targeting, and Google Analytics to help us learn what methods and avenues are working best. We expect to see a rise in the need for this type of analytics collection. It only means better targeting for those businesses ready to really massage and drill down on their strategy for the best ROI.

The experts at ProList are here and ready to discuss these trends with those businesses and organizations looking to up their level of success through direct mail tactics. We’ll help you decide what type of direct mail pieces and what types of campaigns would be best for your industry and area. We’ll even help you with designing and implementing messaging to encourage engagement and lasting impressions. 

Give us a call at 1-888-PROLIST, or fill out a contact form on our website here. We’ll help you implement the latest trends, and we’ll help you understand the changes and lessons we’ve learned from 2021!