Your grandma’s direct mail has been upgraded — today mailers can be sent out automatically without you lifting a finger. The result is not only less time and frustration, but also additional revenue and a thriving customer base. Find out why direct mail automation is the next best marketing technology and read all the statistics that back it up.

Marketing is essential, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, and it definitely shouldn’t take up all of your time and energy. That’s why direct mail automation is growing in popularity among many businesses. After a little bit of set-up, it runs on its own and then you can just watch as the responses rolls in.

For example, an internet and cable installation business could set up a direct mail trigger that sends mailers automatically to people who have just moved into the neighborhood. So if 100 families changed their addresses and moved into town, they would receive a postcard in their inbox that advertises internet services when they need it most.

It’s also a no-brainer to incorporate automated direct mail into an integrated marketing campaign because it drives up response rates during key moments on the customer journey and overall increases revenue. At any point in your sales funnel, a mailer can automatically be sent out based on set triggers.

Here are just a few examples of common ways to leverage triggered mailings:

  • Abandoned Shopping Carts: It’s common for shoppers to place items in their online shopping carts and not follow through with a purchase. To bring them back to the cart and finish the transaction, set up an automated mail trigger that sends them a postcard within 24 hours of that cart being abandoned. Include a coupon and it will motivate prospects even more to return to your site. A QR code on the mailer will also make it easy for them to quickly scan it and hop back online for the sale.
  • Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRMs): CRMs are every business’s bread and butter, but did you know that you can connect your CRM to a direct mail marketing provider? Anytime you enter a new lead, or a contact moves from a cold lead to a warm lead, you can trigger a mailing. This is perfect for welcoming in a new client or pushing a warm lead to close. You’re busy, so save time by letting direct mail automation do some of the work for you.
  • Website Visits: Technology is now in place to link website visitors to their home address so you can send them a triggered mailing within a day or two of their website visit. Our service Website to Mailbox mails a postcard to a website visitor within 24 hours. You can qualify which visitors you want to target from various triggers like the amount of time on site, if the visitor clicks on a certain web page, and more. Once the website visitor receives the mailer, they will remember your business and consider returning or reaching back out to you.

You may think that direct mail automation is too complicated to put in place or too expensive. However, this is far from true when working with an experienced professional (like us) who has affordable packages for both small and larger businesses.

Is it worth it? Take a look at these statistics that show how valuable automated direct mail really is!

  • Direct mail automation is used by 84% of responding marketers. Direct Mail Industry Report 2023 (2023)
  • When asked about new ideas and strategies for future campaigns, marketers indicated direct mail automation is the most likely to be tested this year (84%), just edging past creative and digital integration strategies (83% each). Direct Mail Industry Report 2023 (2023)
  • Nine out of ten marketers are focused on mail automation optimization and scale. Direct Mail Industry Report 2023 (2023)
  • 45% of automated mail campaigns are produced by in-house teams. Direct Mail Industry Report 2023 (2023)
  • 53% of marketers are shifting to more personalized content over the next year, a goal often met by the personalization offered by automation. Winterberry Group (2023)
  • When asked about the level of impact they expect AI will have on direct marketing activities over the next two years, 76% agreed that it will be significant or transformative. Keypoint Intelligence (2023)
  • 50% of marketers who automate direct mail feel like their company can determine ROI. The State of Direct Mail (2023)
  • 40% of marketers use a technology platform to execute direct mail campaigns. The State of Direct Mail (2023)
  • 76% of B2B marketers rate the ability to automate mail creation and delivery tied to buyer purchase signals and behavior as valuable, with 32% rating it as highly valuable. Forrester Opportunity Snapshot (2022)
  • 84% of marketers report that direct mail improves multichannel campaign performance. Demand Metric (2020)
  • Marketers who use 4-6 channels in their multichannel campaigns report the best response rates. Demand Metric (2020)
  • Only 40% of marketers use a technology platform to execute direct-mail campaigns. Comperemedia (2023)
  • The use of direct mail automation is highest when a company’s email/digital team is in charge of executing direct mail campaigns. If a dedicated marketing manager or team executes direct mail campaigns, use of automation declines to 31%. Comperemedia (2023)

If you liked reading this entry, check out this larger article that includes over 150 direct mail statistics about many more topics!