According to USPS, households receive just 2 direct mail advertisements a day, compared to a staggering 157 emails. In an age of so many digital communications, people are now more engaged with direct mail marketing than ever before.
Here are 25 impressive stats on the power of direct mail to help you connect with your customers and prospects like never before.
1. 98% of consumers bring their mail into the house the same day it’s delivered.
- Of these, 72% of people bring it in “as soon as possible”.
- 77% report they sort through their mail “immediately”.
2. Direct mail has an average open rate between 57.5% – 85% and an average response rate of 2.7% – 4.4%. In comparison, email only has a response rate of 0.6%.
3. Over 90% of consumers browse through catalogs and keep them for an average of 7 days.
4. However, 78% of consumers prefer receiving postcards over other types of mail.
5. 56% of consumers say receiving mail is a “real pleasure” and 55% say they “look forward” to discovering the mail they receive.
6. Sending both digital and direct mail to Generation Z customers increases their overall response by 18-24%.
7. 84% of Gen Z consumers reported receiving direct mail with a QR code leads them to interact with a brand online.
8. USPS research says that 54% of Gen Z audiences want easy-to-find branding in direct mail pieces. Another 45% like unique sizes and shapes, 34% prefer thick paper, and 31% want large text.
9. More than 70% of Gen X consumers and 71% of Boomers believe that physical mail is more personal than online digital communications. They report that they’re more likely to read promotional mail than emails.
10. 57% of Boomers say they would be very disappointed if they stopped getting mail. 45% of Gen X, 41% of millennials, and 37% of Gen Z say the same.
11. Marketers state that the top three advantages of direct mail include its’ ability to be personalized/customized (40%), ability to integrate with digital campaigns (36%), and mail volume and budget flexibility (26%).
12. Additionally, according to the report, direct mail is most commonly associated with customer acquisition, with 43% of respondents saying that this is a goal of direct mail. Other objectives include remarketing (40%), lead generation (38%), brand awareness (34%) and customer retention (27%).
13. According to research by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), direct mail campaigns using a letter-size envelope generated 112% ROI. That’s a 19% improvement over email campaign ROI.
14. 74% of marketers agree that direct mail delivers the best ROI, response rate, and conversion rates than all other channels used. They also agree direct mail is a more effective channel for their company than email.
15. 26% of over 2,000 interviewed consumers say that direct mail ads help them make the smartest purchase decisions.
16. Up to 60% of consumers agree that receiving direct mail leaves a long-lasting impression and helps them recall the advertising in the future.
17. In 2023, 58% of marketers allocated more of their marketing budgets to direct mail compared to 2022.
18. Regarding Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands, 63% of marketers invest in direct mail marketing strategies.
19. 9 out of 10 consumers engage with promotional mail.
20. 84% of consumers said that direct mail they receive from a company they purchase from regularly is useful — specifically “extremely useful” (24%), “very useful” (26%) or “somewhat useful” (34%).
21. 69% of consumers engage with mail each week. Nearly 1/3 of consumers engage with direct mail daily.
22. 54% of consumers keep an interesting piece of mail and refer back to later.
23. 45% of consumers state direct mail feels less intrusive than other types of advertising.
24. 40% of consumers enjoy learning about new brands/products/ services through the mail.
25. Over 1/3 of consumers (38%) believed direct mail to be the most influential ad type. Paid online search or banner ads lagged behind at 22%, sponsored influencer content at 15%, and text message ads ranked the least influential at 14%.
Direct mail is a robust and enduring marketing tool that consistently delivers exceptional return on investment, response rates, and conversion rates. Direct mail’s influence will continue to grow, leaving a lasting impression on consumers and contributing significantly to the marketing landscape.
Reach out to us to learn about Welcome Wagon’s suite of direct mail solutions to help you boost customer acquisition. 
