Direct Mail And Email Marketing: When To Use Each Channel

Marketing teams use many different channels to reach people. Two of the most common are direct mail and email. Both are considered forms of direct marketing, but they work in very different ways.

Direct mail sends physical materials like postcards or letters through the mail. Email marketing sends digital messages directly to a person's inbox. Each has different costs, timelines, and ways to measure success.

Today, many marketers are comparing these two channels again. Changes in consumer behavior and technology have affected how well each one works.

Why Compare Direct Mail Vs Email Marketing

Direct mail vs email marketing is a common comparison because both channels reach people one-on-one. As digital fatigue grows, with the average office worker receiving over 120 emails daily, physical mail faces less competition and often gets more attention.

The pandemic changed how people interact with marketing. During lockdowns, consumers spent more time at home and responded differently to physical and digital content, leading many businesses to reassess their balance of direct mail vs digital marketing.

Both channels have evolved significantly:

• Email marketing: Fast, scalable, and integrated with digital analytics
• Direct mail: Provides tangible engagement with longer staying power

Instead of choosing just one, many marketing teams now use both together to reach people in different ways at different times.

What Is Direct Mail And Direct Email Marketing

Direct mail is printed marketing content sent through postal services. This includes postcards, letters, catalogs, flyers, and brochures physically delivered to residential or business addresses.

Email marketing direct, also known as direct email advertising, involves sending digital messages to a person's inbox. These messages can contain promotional content, updates, or newsletters sent electronically through email platforms.

The basic difference between direct mail and email marketing is the delivery method:

• Direct mails are physical and handled by mail carriers
• Email messages are digital and sent over the internet

Examples of direct mail formats include:

• Postcards announcing sales or new products
• Personalized letters with special offers
• Catalogs displaying seasonal merchandise
• Flyers promoting local services

Examples of direct email advertising formats include:

• Marketing emails with discount codes
• Newsletters with company updates
• Automated welcome emails for new subscribers
• Transactional emails like order confirmations

Direct Mail Vs Email Statistics And ROI Insights

Understanding how these channels perform requires looking at measurable outcomes. The table below compares key metrics based on current industry data.

1. Response Rates And Engagement

Mail direct marketing achieves higher response rates than email direct campaigns due to format and delivery differences.

• Higher direct mail open rates: Physical mail gets opened because it arrives with little competition and is harder to ignore.
• Email click-through challenges: Emails face spam filters, inbox sorting, and high message volume.
• Interaction time difference: People often spend more time reading a printed piece than scanning an email.

When comparing engagement metrics, direct mail typically shows stronger initial attention, while email enables faster action through clickable links.

2. Cost Efficiency And ROI

Cost considerations include campaign setup, production, and delivery expenses. Email marketing direct often has lower upfront costs, while direct mail requires more investment in materials and postage.

• Initial investment comparison: Email setup costs are low compared to direct mail's design, printing, and postage expenses.
• Ongoing campaign costs: Email systems involve monthly platform fees, while direct mail requires recurring print and delivery costs for each send.
• Cost per conversion factors: Email typically converts at a lower cost per customer, but direct mail can yield higher response rates per recipient.

For budget-conscious campaigns targeting large audiences, direct marketing by email offers clear cost advantages. For high-value offers to specific segments, direct mail's higher response rates may justify the increased cost.

3. Long Term Impact And Trust

Different formats carry different levels of perceived credibility and staying power.

• Trust perception difference: Direct mail is often seen as more official or credible than email marketing direct.
• Brand recall comparison: Studies show printed materials are more likely to be remembered than digital messages.
• Relationship building effect: Physical mail can create stronger emotional connections, while email supports frequent touchpoints.

Direct mail email campaigns typically generate higher memorability and perceived importance. Email direct marketing offers lower cost, ongoing contact, but may be overlooked or filtered out.

Direct Mail Marketing Vs Email Marketing Pros And Cons

There's no single answer to which channel is better. The difference between direct mail and email marketing depends on your campaign goals, resources, audience, and timing.

1. Pros Of Direct Mail

Direct mails offer several distinct advantages:

• Higher open and response rates (90%+ vs 15-25% for email)
• Less competition in the mailbox than in crowded inboxes
• Tangible format creates stronger emotional connections
• Better performance with certain demographics (older audiences, high-value prospects)
• Ability to include physical samples or promotional items
• Higher perceived value and trustworthiness

2. Cons Of Direct Mail

Mailing marketing direct campaigns also have limitations:

• Higher cost per piece (typically $0.50-$3.00 vs $0.01-$0.05 for email)
• Longer production and delivery timeline (days vs minutes)
• Environmental considerations (paper usage and transportation)
• More complex testing and iteration process
• Limited tracking capabilities compared to digital channels
• Address accuracy and delivery challenges

3. Pros Of Email Marketing

E-mailing marketing offers significant benefits:

• Lower cost per contact (pennies vs dollars)
• Immediate delivery and response potential
• Easy testing, measurement, and optimization
• Simple automation and personalization at scale
• Seamless integration with other digital channels
• Interactive elements like videos, surveys, and clickable buttons

4. Cons Of Email Marketing

Email direct campaigns face their own challenges:

• Lower open and response rates
• Inbox competition and filtering issues
• Regulatory compliance requirements (CAN-SPAM, GDPR)
• Digital fatigue among recipients
• Deliverability problems (bounces, spam folder placement)
• Shorter attention span and retention compared to physical mail

When To Use Mailing Marketing Direct Vs Direct Marketing By Email

Choosing between channels works best when based on specific criteria, not habit or convenience.

1. High Value Or Regulated Audiences

Audience characteristics strongly influence which channel will perform better.

Use direct mail for:

• High-value prospects expecting personalized outreach
• Regulated industries like healthcare, insurance, and financial services
• Communications containing sensitive personal information
• Older demographics who prefer physical rather than digital content

Use email for:

• Tech-savvy audiences comfortable with digital communication
• Regular updates requiring frequent touchpoints
• Information-seeking customers actively researching options
• Younger demographics who primarily communicate digitally

2. Time Sensitive Vs Evergreen Campaigns

Time constraints affect channel choice significantly.

Use direct mail for:

• Brand-building campaigns with longer-term goals
• Relationship nurturing without urgent deadlines
• Premium offers where presentation quality matters
• Evergreen content with extended relevance

Use email for:

• Flash sales requiring immediate notification
• Breaking news or time-sensitive announcements
• Event reminders with specific deadlines
• Sequential messaging requiring precise timing

3. Budget Constraints And Scale

Available resources often determine channel selection.

Use direct mail for:

• Targeted campaigns to smaller, well-defined audiences
• High-value offers where cost per contact is justified
• Campaigns where physical materials enhance the message

Use email for:

• Large-scale campaigns requiring broad reach
• Testing multiple message variations quickly
• Frequent communication cycles requiring cost efficiency

How To Combine Direct Mails And E Mailing Marketing For Better Results

Using direct mail and email direct marketing together in coordinated campaigns can increase customer spending by up to 25% compared to single-channel approaches.

Effective combinations include:

• Sending a postcard with a QR code followed by a reminder email
• Using email to announce an offer and reinforcing it with printed materials
• Following up direct mail pieces with targeted emails to the same audience

1. Use Triggers To Automate Sequences

Trigger-based automation uses data or events to start message sequences across channels. A trigger might include a website visit, form submission, or purchase.

For example, if someone views a product online but doesn't buy, you can send a direct mail postcard within days, followed by a related email offer.

Lob connects systems to set up these triggers through API or platform integrations, coordinating timing between e direct mail and digital workflows.

Common trigger scenarios include:

• Direct mail after cart abandonment, followed by reminder emails
• Welcome letters after email sign-up
• Email payment reminders after mailed invoices
• Re-engaging unsubscribed email customers with personalized postcards

2. Personalize Content And Timing

Personalization uses data to adjust message content based on recipient characteristics. Both direct marketing email and direct mail can carry personalized content, though the formats differ.

Lob enables personalization at scale using data from CRMs, CDPs, or custom databases. This includes customizing images, offers, or layouts based on user behavior or attributes.

Elements that work well for personalization:

• In email: Subject lines, product recommendations, dynamic content blocks
• In direct mail: Name/address personalization, custom offers, localized images

3. Track Results Across Channels

Tracking helps measure how campaigns perform together. Email marketing direct is easily tracked through opens, clicks, and conversions. Direct mail uses QR codes, personalized URLs, and delivery scans.

Lob provides delivery tracking, QR code engagement data, and address-level reporting that connects to digital analytics platforms.

Key metrics to track include:

• Email opens and clicks
• Direct mail delivery status
• Website visits from QR codes or PURLs
• Conversion rates by channel and sequence
• Time between message delivery and action

Are Mailers Effective For Your Strategy

To determine if direct mail fits your marketing strategy, consider these questions:

• Does your audience include people who prefer physical communication?
• Is your message complex, high-value, or sensitive?
• Do you have verified postal addresses for your target segment?
• Would your offer benefit from physical format (samples, printed materials)?
• Is your timeline flexible enough for printing and delivery?
• Can you measure and track campaign results effectively?

You might find direct mail particularly effective if you work in industries like:

• Financial services (mortgage offers, banking updates)
• Healthcare (appointment reminders, insurance enrollment)
• Higher education (alumni outreach, admissions)
• eCommerce (reactivation campaigns, catalog promotion)
• Real estate (property listings, open house invitations)

Testing a small campaign can help evaluate effectiveness before larger investment. Lob supports this through delivery tracking, address verification, and real-time analytics.

Indicators that direct mail may work well for you include:

• Audience segments less responsive to digital channels
• Declining email engagement rates
• Offers enhanced by physical presentation
• Operations in regulated or compliance-sensitive industries
• Access to accurate address data and segmentation tools

Key Takeaways And Next Steps To Optimize Your Campaigns

Direct mail and email serve different functions in marketing strategies. Email works well when speed, scalability, and cost-efficiency matter most. Direct mail performs better for targeting specific audiences, delivering personalized offers, or increasing visibility through physical formats.

The difference between direct mail vs email isn't about which is universally better, but which fits your specific goals, audience, and campaign type.

Using both channels together often improves overall performance by increasing message frequency, reinforcing offers, and reaching recipients in multiple formats.

Lob's platform makes direct mail automation accessible with features similar to email tools, including personalization, system integration, and performance tracking. These capabilities make direct mail more measurable, especially when used alongside email.

Book a demo with Lob to explore how direct mail can integrate with your digital campaigns using a single platform.

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