Direct Mail Trends for 2024
Direct mail continues to resonate with consumers across most demographics. The trick to producing great direct mail campaigns is to study emerging trends and implement the trends most likely to resonate with customers. For several consecutive years, marketers have found that personalized and digital-friendly direct mail has made great strides in engagement with consumers. As we progress through 2024, direct mail that is personalized and digital-friendly will continue to yield the best results for marketers.
Following is some helpful information on how to keep your direct mail campaigns on-trend for optimal results.
Important Direct Mail Trends to Consider in Your Next Campaign
Personalized Direct Mail is a Trend That is Here to Stay
Personalization is powerful. As we become more dependent on technology in nearly every facet of our lives, feeling seen and heard matters. What personalization really boils down to is acknowledging the recipient of your direct mail as an individual. Personalized direct mail can involve addressing a recipient by their legal name but it can also go beyond that. With advanced software, technology can quickly analyze a consumer’s preferences, purchasing habits, and even anticipate products or services that can appeal to them. There’s data to back this notion up, too—personalized direct mail boasts a response rate that is nearly 30% higher than generic mailings.
Integrating Direct Mail with Digital Gets Results
Enhancing direct mail with digital elements is a powerful trend that all businesses, non-profits, and higher education organizations should utilize. Implementing digital elements such as PURLs, QR codes, and links to social media on your direct mail improves your customers’ experiences. More than that, however, routing consumers to your digital properties like websites, social media, curated shopping carts, and personalized landing pages can provide very insightful metrics to help cater to the unique preferences and needs of individual consumers.
Sustainable Mail is Preferred by Most Consumers
A growing majority of people are concerned with how businesses affect the environment. Leading with a commitment to sustainability resonates with people from diverse backgrounds and belief systems. Choosing recycled materials, for example, or working with printers who use energy-saving and environmentally friendly technology can be a huge selling point for the public. Be sure to mention your commitment to sustainable practices on your website and marketing materials to educate your consumers.
Emotional Storytelling Spurns Consumer Action
Crafting emotional narratives in your direct mail copy resonates with people. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of remote work, and increase in reliance on technology, people long for connection with the world around them. Using powerful storytelling is a great way to humanize your business or organization while showcasing your products’ or services’ positive impact on consumers. Emotional storytelling can be as simple as sharing customer testimonials or highlighting your organization’s philanthropic efforts. The bottom line for marketers in 2024 is that it is not only ok—but effective—to use emotion to connect with your audience.
Pel Hughes is a full-service printer based in New Orleans. We work with businesses and organizations in diverse industries throughout the United States. In addition to custom direct mail, we offer cross media marketing, database services, and graphic design. Click here or call (504) 486-8646 to request a quote.
