Inevitably, our inboxes fill up with spam as we get older. But while we might be used to getting a few marketing emails a day, the fact is, they aren’t going to be relevant to us as individuals. So taking matters into your own hands and creating a personalized welcome mail for each of your contacts is the way forward.

Email marketing has changed the way we communicate and do business today. But while the methods might be different, the approach remains the same. Namely, direct mail marketing.

Traditional direct mail marketing, which is also known as ‘bulk mail’ or ‘junk mail,’ uses physical mail to communicate with target audiences. For businesses, it’s often the cheapest and most convenient option for reaching customers. For example, you might choose to use physical mail to send out offers for discount codes or sign up for a free trial of a product or service (e.g., HubSpot).

However, despite its prevalence in the marketing world, does traditional direct mail marketing still hold value? Is it a viable option for B2B marketing, and is it effective in driving action? Let’s examine the evidence and the factors that make this form of marketing unique.

Is Traditional Direct Mail Marketing Still Relevant

Whether you like it or not, the world is changing – and fast. As people get busier and have fewer down times, they have more attention to spare and want to limit the amount of information they have to process. Simply put, they want to ‘skip’ the junk mail and get to the good stuff (like the juicy details about the holiday or the scoop on the latest product).

In a world of digital marketing, where information is abundant and accessible through various platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), it’s easy for marketers to become disheartened with the sheer volume of information available to them. But this is precisely where the value of traditional direct mail marketing lies. While digital marketing can certainly be used to target specific audiences and allow businesses to scale their efforts, it requires a different set of skills – like writing – to be relevant and effective. Consider using a marketing automation platform like HubSpot to get the most out of your efforts.

Where Do You Get Your List?

Another important consideration is where you get your list of potential customers. In today’s world of digital marketing, there are more choices of channels that you can use to connect with consumers. But for decades, direct mail marketing has been the bread and butter of many businesses.

When you choose to invest in traditional direct mail marketing, there are a few essentials you need to have before you start pitching. First, you need to have a list of prospective customers. This is typically compiled via a lead generation platform (e.g., HubSpot).

Once you have the list, you can start to segment it and decide what to do with the data. For example, you might choose to send out personalized offers to prospective customers who have signed up to an email list. Or, you might choose to send out a promotional package full of goodies to everyone on your list.

Why Should You Use Personalized Emails?

One of the primary reasons you should use personalized emails is because people love getting them. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 45% of consumers have answered questions in a marketing email, and 71% have interacted with a business via email. So while it’s tempting to just send out one un personalized email to a large group of people, that’s probably not going to work out very well – at least, not if you want to see any interaction on your end.

Instead, once you’ve compiled your list, you need to take the time to personalize each email you send out. This might mean taking the time to segment your list into different groups (e.g., based on where they’re located), crafting a personalized subject line for each email, and creating a personalized message for each recipient.

For example, you might choose to begin your email with:

– A short bio about yourself (e.g., your company, where you’re located, etc.).

– A subject line that’s relevant to the email’s content (e.g., Sales Tips for Small Business owners, or Marketing Ideas for Photographers).

– An opening that’s relevant to the content’s context (e.g., Dear Valued Customer, or Thanks for signing up).

– A body that’s relevant to the content (e.g., 3 Tips on How to Market your Small Business).

– Finally, you need to take the time to reply to everyone who’s asked a question (even if it’s just a confirmation email). This shows that you’re doing your part to make sure everyone is taken care of and that you’re focused on their needs. It also provides a greater chance of communication and interaction – which, in turn, might lead to a sale or another action (e.g., sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media).

In a nutshell, use direct mail marketing to stand out among the noise and cut through the clutter. While it might be tempting to simply use online marketing to attract potential customers and grow your business, taking the time to personalize each email you send out might just get you further than anything else you do.