“The pen is mightier than the sword.” The famous phrase penned by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, still carries its weight today nearly 200 years later. The written word is an art form, a medium, and a communication tool with an incredible array of capability. Print media and print marketing are prime examples of how powerful the written word can be. Print marketing statistics make the argument that print is still valuable.
Even in an age that is so incredibly digitally-integrated, print marketing maintains a hold on a portion of the market by driving significant marketing and conversion metrics.
While it’s crucial to focus on digital-integration and the implementation of technologies and software to improve access and reach, there is no reason to abandon print marketing efforts.
Blending Print and Digital
It’s common to find that the best approach to something is a blend of strategies and tactics. That is certainly the case with print marketing and digital marketing efforts.
Print marketing offers a whole toolbox full of practical marketing tactics. Implementing these tactics supplements the overall marketing strategy while also reinforcing the brand presence and message and further driving conversion metrics.
Digital marketing efforts see an increase in efficiency and effectiveness when paired with a well-developed print marketing strategy. Optimizing digital marketing, in turn, optimizes print marketing. Therefore the best-designed marketing strategy utilizes the strengths of each marketing style to supplement the weaknesses of the other.
Key Print Marketing Statistics
Print marketing is still very much alive and well. Boosting significant business metrics that increase revenue, grow the book of business, and bring more customers to your business time and time again.
Understanding how to craft a direct-mail marketing strategy comes from understanding how and where to leverage direct-mail. Utilizing hard data can help leaders make informed decisions based on facts. Therefore, leading to a more reasoned and tested marketing strategy that will yield significant results.
1. New Customers
Nearly 40% (39%) of customers try a business for the first time due to direct-mail marketing. If that doesn’t show that print is still valuable, nothing will.
New business is hard to come by in the era of information. With a more informed consumer base and a more saturated market in regards to competition, consumers have more options and more buying-power than in the history of the economy.
As such, it has become incredibly challenging to win new business. However, with the help of a robust direct-mail campaign, new customers will be eager to try your business for the first time—what a great example of print marketing statistics.
2. Sustainable Growth – Slow and Steady
Since 2004 direct-mail response rates have grown by 14%. That shows a much higher level of trust as well as optimized efficiency over other marketing tactics.
The 14% growth over 16 years may not seem that impressive; however, the picture changes shape when considering the decline in email response rates. The reduction in email response rates over the same period has reached 57%.
This stark contrast shows how print is still valuable.
3. Trust
Building customer trust and gaining a loyal book of business is a universal priority for organizations. As such, companies are always searching for ways to improve the customer experience, trust, and customer loyalty.
56% of customers trust print marketing more than any other type of marketing. In a digital landscape, familiarity could be a factor influencing consumer-perception.
Whatever the reasoning, it remains that customers are more trusting of print marketing than any other marketing tactic or strategy. Investing in the development of a well-designed and purposeful print marketing strategy is bound to yield impactful results.
4. Reinforcement
As mentioned a little earlier, one of the benefits of implementing a print marketing campaign is brand-reinforcement. Digital and print marketing have a symbiotic relationship in such that they each benefit from the other’s success.
Here is a great print marketing statistic. A concept that is demonstrated by the fact that 44% of customers visit a brand’s website after receiving and viewing a piece of direct mail. That shows how convincing direct mail is, as customers make an action in visiting the website. It’s one of the great print marketing statistics.
5. Brand Presence
Brand presence is another topic mentioned briefly above. The more exposure an individual has to any specific brand, the more mental-space that brand occupies. In turn, that makes companies prioritize how much facetime their ads and marketing are in front of potential customers.
Print marketing has an advantage over digital marketing in its tangible presence. As of July 1st, 2020, 48% of households reported retaining direct-mail campaigns for future reference.
That translates to nearly 50% of a direct-mail list retaining mailers, fliers, coupons, and other pieces of direct mail for future use or future consideration. A proven and effective way to enhance brand presence, print is still valuable in yet another way.
6. Non-Profits
Direct mailing is far from limited to the business sector. Non-profit organizations utilize direct mailing campaigns frequently. As one of the best marketing tactics available, it only makes sense that organizations with a compelling mission would want to make use of such a tactic.
The conversion rates speak for themselves once again, with direct-mailing efforts accounting for 78% of donations. That represents an astronomical portion of contributions made. Direct mail continues as a driver for print marketing statistics.
With direct-mailing efforts working so effectively, and in synchronization with digital marketing efforts, the case for building a robust and comprehensive direct-mailing marketing strategy only becomes more compelling.
7. Returns
Besides increased revenues, additional customers, and new sales, there are even more benefits to a well crafted direct-marketing strategy. One such benefit is the average return-ratio seen on direct-mail investments.
In general, that ratio is 13-to-1. In other words, every $1 spent on direct marketing campaigns yields $13 in return. These are ratios that marketing-professionals dream of achieving.
Print marketing continues to hold its value as an impactful and significant aspect of a comprehensive marketing strategy.
8. Readership
Persuading consumers to read content can be a bit tricky. With so many companies and competitors vying for consumer face time, the field becomes a bit murky. Consumers actively avoid ads online when they can, and in the off-chance an ad slips through, the chances it’s disregarded and ignored entirely are high.
That’s not the case with direct-mailing campaigns. A whopping 79% of households scan or read direct mail. That’s a staggering metric, no matter the industry.
The volume of readers that direct mailing efforts attract further the argument for investing in the development of a direct mailing campaign. Having such a robust readership rate leads to a variety of other benefits.
Conclusion
The main goals of marketing efforts are: to win new business, to sustain and keep existing business, and to elevate a brand’s presence and brand perception.
While digital marketing has soared over the past decade with the era of technology and information, print is still valuable to marketing teams. Direct-mail campaigns result in impressive conversion rates and often lead to consumer action.
As such, the best marketing campaigns contain both digital and print elements. Print marketing statistics show the value in the practice. Since the two categories work hand-in-hand and practically optimize one another, a comprehensive and far-reaching marketing campaign needs both.