Direct Mail is Reaching Stay-at-Home Customers

The death of direct mail has been declared inevitable by many, and it is true that there has been a mass and rapid migration to online advertising since the pandemic. However, what many businesses don’t realize is that this overwhelming deluge of intrusive internet marketing has made it less effective. Targeted, quality direct mail is now a preferred method of receiving advertisements by many stay-at-home consumers. 

Why is Direct Mail Reaching Stay-at-Home Customers? 

gets very little attention on its way to the trash can. Today’s direct mail, if crafted carefully, is more like welcome communication from the outside world. Especially for those who are trying to stay at home during the pandemic, direct mail is reaching a new demographic. These are stay-at-homers who actually have time to look at their mail instead of generalizing it as junk. 

Stay-at-Home Customers Dislike Junk Mail

The pandemic has opened new opportunities for direct mail, but that doesn’t mean that customers want junk mail. They want quality content catered to the delivery of goods and services in a safe manner. 

This means businesses will have to invest in quality printed materials and empathetic messaging. Postcards may be effective for some industries, but other small businesses may want to invest in personalized messages in non-windowed, aesthetically-pleasing envelopes. You are sending the customer notice that you can fulfill their wants or needs instead of sending them cheap sales pitches. 

Empathy vs. Exploitation in Direct Mail

The COVID-19 pandemic has been overused in nearly every advertising platform. Businesses exploit the virus by saying things like, “These are hard times. We support you.” This theme has been so overused that it reveals itself as a cheap sales pitch. However, that doesn’t mean that the subject of the virus cannot be properly used. 

Customers want to know that you are helping to keep them safe. They don’t want to hear the obvious. They want to know that you are doing your best to help. This means notifying customers about measures that you are taking to keep people safe. It also means using imagery that supports social distancing and mask-wearing. A customer can easily differentiate between exploitation and empathy when it comes to the pandemic. Your advertising will be much more effective if they recognize empathy. 

Direct Mail is Less Intrusive for the Stay-at-Home Customer

Many people who are able to stay at home during the pandemic are using social media and other online platforms for work and recreation. This means that the internet is now the place where advertising is more intrusive. When you are trying to keep in touch with friends and family, advertising is an unwelcome delay that results in deletion rather than conversion. 

There is nothing certain in advertising right now because COVID-19 has put all businesses in tumult. One thing that is easy to understand is why and how direct mail has a place in almost every small business marketing mix to reach the stay-at-home customer.