Direct mail vs email is arguably one of the longest standing debates in marketing, this could be down to the constantly evolving industry and it’s audiences.

Today 70% of consumers reportedly feel like they receive too many emails, something we can probably all empathise with. As our virtual inboxes reach the thousands we have less and less tolerance for email marketing.

As the digital industry grows the direct mail vs email debate takes a turn and the death of email marketing as we know becomes apparent. The average lifespan of an email is now just 2 seconds and brand recall directly after seeing a digital ad is just 44%, compared to direct mail which has a brand recall of 75%. Whilst digital media is still a crucial part of marketing we compare the statistics of direct mail vs email.

The evidence suggests we need to revaluate the way we use email, rather than thinking of it as a cheap form of marketing how we can utilise it’s strengths? If we continue to bombard customers we may risk alienating them. As the effectiveness of email marketing declines the response to direct mail is on the rise, and printed media becomes a more trusted form of consumer engagement. Looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each media it seems the rising popularity of direct mail could work to reinforce email, if used in the right combination, and may we suggest in moderation.

Post update: 2017-02-09

At the suggestion of Michael Leander we also researched the Cost Per Acquisition and Return on Investment for both direct mail and email. Whilst email offers a more immediate return on your investment, it would appear that direct mail is more effective in acquiring new customers. When thinking about both direct mail and email as part of your marketing campaign define your goals and choose the best marketing combination to support them.

Links from the infographic:

1. Royal Mail MarketReach, Mail and Digital Part 1
2. http://businessadvice.co.uk/business-development/sales-marketing/why-direct-mail-is-once-again-becoming-useful-for-small-business/
3. https://glw.media/direct-mail-marketing-vs-email-marketing/
4. https://www.digitaldoughnut.com/articles/2016/july/digital-marketing-vs-traditional-marketing
5. https://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2015/06/direct-mail-vs-email-king/
6. https://dma.org.uk/uploads/misc/584945ba78ec7-consumer-email-tracker-2016-infographic_584945ba78e17.pdf
7. http://www.citipostmail.co.uk/blog/digital-vs-print-how-different-are-mail-and-email/
8. It’s all about mail and email, Royal Mail Research Report 2014
9. http://www.united-mail.com/infographics/your-roi-is-in-the-mail/#sthash.KDurCTz1.F3qX0Szv.dpbs