Millennials and Direct Mail: Does it Work?

Millennials are digital natives; attached to their mobile phones and only swayed through social media ads. Marketers who hold these assumptions are missing out on an incredible opportunity to reach this market via direct mail advertising.

The truth is, 84 percent of millennials check their mailbox, while 64 percent prefer to scan through mail than email, according to a 2016 report by the US Postal Service. So, it’s safe to say that millennials not only respond to non-digital forms of marketing, but also consider them a valuable source of information.

Here are some other stats from the USPS:

• 97% of millennials consider direct mail advertising as reliable
• 87% like to receive direct mail
• 77% pay attention to direct mail advertising
• 57% have made purchases following direct mail offers

It probably comes as a surprise to some marketers that digital natives could be interested and responsive to print advertising. But according to neuromarketing research, the brain produces a different kind of reaction to printed material compared to digital media.

The research argues that people spend more time with physical ads, while they close digital content a lot faster. As a result, physical ads trigger activity in the part of the brain that is responsible for strong emotional response, such as value and desire, making them more memorable.

Another study by Canada Post came up with similar results; direct mail required 21% less brain power to process, 70% of the participants had better recollection of direct mail ads compared to digital ads, and that activation of the parts of the brain that are responsible for motivation was 20% stronger for direct mail.

These studies suggest that most people, millennials included, are strongly inclined to respond to physical ads.

Appeal to millennials with direct mail advertising

Direct mail can help marketers to engage millennials, whether your goal is to generate interest, acquire customers, or build customer loyalty. Here are a few tips to help you create engaging mail pieces that appeal to this generation:

• Keep the messaging brief and easy to read
• Incorporate digital elements by embedding QR code barcodes, augmented reality (AR), or near field communication (NFC) that link the mailer to interactive materials on your website and/or social media sites
• Be authentic; transparent, straightforward, no hard-sell language
• Use enhancements such as texture, sound, or scent to make the ad material stand out

Direct mail advertising can help your message rise above the digital noise and engage your millennial audience.

Interested in adding direct mail marketing to your next campaign? Give us a call at our Toronto mailing house in Scarborough at 1-866-486-0423.

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