Our Blog
Revealing Statistics about Direct Mail and Small Businesses
Direct mail continues its resurgence in the face of an overwhelmingly digital era. This is no small feat, as many experts foresaw the decline and possibly even the elimination of direct mail from marketing. We’re seeing now that the opposite is happening, and more and more businesses are including direct mail pieces into their overall marketing efforts.
Small businesses have certainly benefited from this renewed vigor in direct mail. When looking at the stats, it’s clear that direct mail continues to have a measurable impact on consumer behavior. Small Businesses Trends recently took the liberty of gathering the 2015 U.S. statistics on the use of direct mail by small businesses and its impact on consumers.
U.S. Statistics on Direct Mail and Small Businesses
There are so many places we can start from when breaking down these figures. One practical place to start is with the public interest in receiving direct mail. To that point, 54% of respondents say they would like to receive mail from brands in which they have an interest. This is an important figure because it surpasses e-mail subscriptions as consumers’ preference for how they want to receive promotions.
That number is not surprising when you realize that over 2.5 billion direct mail coupons have been redeemed. Another figure that immediately stands out is 42% of respondents said they interacted with the mail pieces they received by reading or scanning through it. That’s a high number of people who don’t just toss mail into the garbage before at least reading the contents.
Consumers Trust Direct Mail
The nature of direct mail makes it more trustworthy for its audience. Of those surveyed, 70% said that print trumps digital when it comes to being personal. Over 55% agree that direct mail is the more trustworthy than any other form of marketing. This includes e-mail and social media.
For marketers, what’s most important is the effectiveness of direct mail. As we look at those stats, we also see direct mail coming out on top. When it comes to brand recall, surveys say that direct mail is 70% higher than other forms of marketing. Even more importantly, the return on investment for direct mail is somewhere between 18% and 20% and, of those surveyed who responded to a direct mail piece over the last three months, 62% made a purchase.
Macromark Is Your Direct Mail Specialist
If you are looking for an experienced company to help your direct mail strategy, Macromark is the solution. Our specialists have over 30 years of experience in the industry and can help you target consumers with precision. Using our comprehensive list offerings, we work with our clients to help them place the most effective remnant ads, postcards, and subscription box services. We provide many services related to the industry, so if you want to know more about how we can improve your direct mail marketing strategy, call us at 1-(845) 230-6300.
Source:
Mansfield, M., “Direct Mail Marketing Statistics for Small Businesses,” Small Business Trends, January 10, 2017; https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/01/direct-mail-marketing-statistics.html.

David Klein

Latest posts by David Klein (see all)
- Ways to Use Print Advertising to Engage a New Audience - November 13, 2020
- Top Print Marketing Tips for Boosting Black Friday Sales - November 2, 2020
- Thanksgiving Marketing Ideas to Boost Customer Retention - October 23, 2020