Printed Mail vs. E-mail: Which is the Better Marketing Tool?

Printed Mail or E-mail?

Which works better, “traditional” direct mail or marketing via e-mail? The short answer is that no one really knows, because both have been proven to work in various applications. Maybe a better answer, though, is that traditional printed/postal direct mail and e-mail can work together. Your audience probably includes people who prefer to be contacted via one or the other, so using both increases the likelihood of making a connection.

E-mail also costs less, which makes it an attractive option to many marketers. But there’s a catch, right? It’s pretty easy to buy a list containing postal addresses for any given set of demographics. It’s not as easy to find a list with e-mail addresses for all of those people.

Here’s a thought, though. How about a campaign that leads off with a printed postcard, featuring an offer which involves a chance to win something of high perceived value. Visit our website and register for your chance to win an iPad! Every e-mail address you capture gives you two ways to reach that prospect or customer in the future.

And here’s an even greater benefit. At the registration site, you can ask for even more data that can help you to tailor an offer that will appeal to that individual. Don’t overdo this, no one wants to get to your website and be faced with 50 questions. But just two or three key questions could make a very big difference in your future marketing results.