3 Reasons Why Millennials Love Direct Mail

Millennials and direct mail. You would think that the two don’t make much sense together.

After all, millennials grew up in the digital age. They’re tech-savvy, and promote environmental sustainability.

But despite all this, millennials still appreciate (even enjoy) getting direct mail. People tend to say direct mail is dead, but that’s far from the truth.

According to the USPS, marketing mail volume was 64.1 billion in 2020.

Direct mail has been making a huge comeback, and we can thank millennials for saving direct mail marketing.

1. Tangible

Speaking as a millennial, my favorite thing about direct mail is that it’s tangible. It’s taking up room in my personal space, thus it’s a constant reminder that it’s there.

Emails on the other hand, are fleeting. It’s easy to differentiate between spam and something useful just by the subject line or sender.

The vast majority of emails get deleted without being opened without a second thought. They’re irrelevant and completely forgotten.

Direct mail is the complete opposite of emails. Since getting mail is so uncommon, millennials tend to give them more thought. It often feels too important to throw away without opening it up.

“Oh, this is actually important,” and then the mail sits on the table. An average piece of mail sits around for 17 days before being used or tossed, this gives plenty of time for people in the household to take action.

Depending on what it is, it can be weeks, or even months before you do anything with that piece of mail. But, it’s an everyday subtle reminder taking up space in your corner of the world.

It’s tangible and it clutters your space. And why would you get rid of something perfectly great like a coupon to your favorite store?

There are tons of great things to send millennials in the mail. And since it has less competition than their inbox, chances are high for them to pay attention to your mailer.

63% of millennials that responded to direct mail made a purchase within the last 3 months. For many people, direct mail is the first exposure they have for different businesses.

2. Personal

67% of millennials stated that they feel direct mail creates a personal connection. And 7/10 people actually prefer getting direct mail versus email.

Why?

Because direct mail is heavily personalized. More often than not, companies that send you mail have targeted you specifically because you fit their target audience.

This targeting is incredibly effective (and we can help you customize a mailing list suited for your needs at Graphic Image).

If you’re going to delve into direct mail marketing, it’s best to create a targeted list. Your list needs to target down to demographics, life events, behaviors, and likes/dislikes.

When it comes to personalization, you need to pay attention to fine details. It wouldn’t make sense to send a college newsletter to someone already graduated or has no intentions to return to school.

Or if you own a pet store, it would be best to send mail to people that own pets.

When it comes to repeat customers, you can start to learn what they like and dislike. Make sure you’re paying attention to their purchase history. You can send them promotions to items you know they’ve purchased, or new items that align with their history.

And not to mention, but birthdays are one of the best times to send out mail. Personally, I’m expecting and waiting for coupons from my favorite places every year when my birthday rolls around. They’ve hooked me as a customer, and keep me coming back by showing little gestures of appreciation.

After all, 75% of millennials stated that receiving personal mail makes them feel special. They feel appreciated as a customer.

3. Trusting

Did you know that 82% of millennials view print advertisements as more trustworthy and reliable than their digital counterpart?

It makes sense since millennials grew up in the digital age. They saw how the world shifted, and how advertisements and promotions were constantly blaring in their face. There has never been a safe place online without being bombarded with ads.

It all becomes easy to ignore.

In the world of marketing, digital ads have accomplished the opposite of what they wanted when it comes to millennials. While still incredibly effective in its own right, direct mail has a completely different effect on them.

Since they’re so accustomed to digital marketing, it’s easy to take note of the things that actually matter. Filtering out irrelevant ads has become second nature to them.

Many marketers have focused their outreach to be solely digital-reliant. They believe that direct mail is either dead, or too difficult to execute (both myths). This leads to overflooding inboxes, and standing up against stiff competition to get noticed.

But when it comes to direct mail, everything millennials receive is given second thought since it’s so uncommon.

Getting something in the mail immediately gives the impression that it’s important. Millennials don’t feel the need to tune out what they’re receiving, and 58% of them claim to worry less about direct mail privacy versus digital communications privacy.

It’s easy to see the intent behind direct mail, and more often than not, it’s there to offer something relevant.