The team at Broker Pop is always looking for numbers to help better understand the science of marketing and the validity. Over the years as digital marketing has gained more and more of an advertising presence, many marketers have turned their noses up at some tried and true, more traditional methods of communication, like direct mail.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for digital marketing. A healthy mix of traditional marketing (direct mail, printed materials, telemarketing) plus digital marketing (social media, SEO, Paid Search, web presence) is the best way to attract customers, wherever they are in the purchasing lifecycle.

But, we have to be honest. When we read some of the statistics published by the USPS (yup, the United States Postal Service or your friendly mail person) we were surprised by just how effective direct mail continues to be for gaining market share and attracting new customers.

The full article can be viewed here, but here’s the gist:

  1. 70% of Americans say direct mail is more personal than the Internet, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
  2. 56% of Americans say they like getting mail, according to DMA research.
  3. 39% of customers try a business for the first time because of direct mail advertising (DMA)
  4. Over 60% of direct mail recipients were influenced to visit promoted website – with the greatest influence on first-time shoppers.
  5. 70% to 80% of consumers polled by the DMA in 2014 say they open most of their mail, including what they label “junk.”
  6. 92% of young shoppers say that they prefer direct mail for making purchasing decisions.

What these stats tell us.

They say to do it! At the end of the day, direct mail is still considered a trusted resource for information. As an insurance broker, your services and what you provide is extremely important and requires a lot of education, a lot of time, and a lot of nurturing with your clients to close the deal. If the numbers reported by the USPS and DMA are true, then direct mail is a great tactic you can start using today to get the conversation started.