Many companies have replaced their direct mail campaigns with online marketing strategies
. They believe that email has the ability to reach a larger number of people at a lower cost. This may be true, but it is important to determine whether using the Internet to promote products and services is just as effective. After all, it does not matter how many inboxes a message reaches if it does not boost business.
Messages on a computer screen do not appeal to a person's senses the same way a tangible piece of mail does. The graphics, colors, and paper stock appeal to the audience's sight and touch when a piece of direct mail is in their hands. This cannot be achieved through email or other electronic mediums. An interesting advertisement can be powerful enough to grab the attention of a person who is sorting through the mail.
Sending out emails to target audiences does not ensure they will ever see the message. Common sense tells us that most people who are skimming through their inbox will not read these emails. They will either skip over them or immediately delete them without thinking twice. Companies who have a specific audience in mind should not waste their resources on this type of marketing.
There is so much information on the Internet that advertising through emails, websites, and social networking sites has created an overload for consumers. After a while, people's eye glaze over and none of the messages sink in. Avoid blending in with the pack by sending interesting marketing materials to individuals' doorsteps that will catch their attention and ultimately boost business.
Direct mail campaigns are still the most powerful way of getting a message across to a specified audience. New technologies may be quicker and cheaper, but they are not as effective. Companies should not use the Internet just because it is trendy. Instead, they should stand out from the crowd by sending an interesting mailer right into the homes of the people they are trying to reach.