Thinking about investing in direct mail marketing for your business?
Even in today’s digital world, the benefits of direct mail are stronger than ever. In fact, savvy marketers know that combining print with digital efforts can supercharge campaign performance—boosting visibility, engagement, and ROI.
At Century Direct, we’ve seen firsthand how direct mail can outperform digital in key areas like response rates, personalization, and trust. In this guide, we’ll explore 12 powerful reasons to consider direct mail for your next campaign.
Direct mail continues to outperform digital in response rates. According to the ANA (Association of National Advertisers), direct mail gets a 9% response rate for house lists and 5% for prospects—compared to just 1.33% click-through for marketing emails.
Personalization plays a huge role in this success. With today’s advanced data tools, direct mail can be customized at scale, improving response rates by up to 10x.
Unlike digital ads that can be skipped or blocked, direct mail lands in the hands of your audience.
The U.S. Postal Service refers to this as the “Mail Moment”—the daily ritual of checking and reading the mail. Especially among older demographics and remote workers, this tactile moment presents a prime marketing opportunity.
82% of Americans say they trust print ads more than digital. Direct mail taps into that trust with tangible, engaging pieces that feel more personal and less intrusive.
From premium textures to interactive features like QR codes and augmented reality, today’s mail can create memorable experiences that digital ads simply can’t match.
Direct mail is a familiar, safe medium. It doesn’t carry the same concerns as spam emails or malware-laden popups—making it especially effective for reaching older or tech-wary audiences.
With access to rich consumer data, direct mail allows you to target specific demographics, professions, locations, and behaviors. This ensures your message reaches the right audience, at the right time, with the right offer.
Consumers expect personalization—and with innovations like the HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD, Century Direct can deliver truly customized mail pieces at scale.
Personalization can include photos of a hometown instead of a city on the other side of the country.
From variable text and imagery to hometown-specific photos, no element is off-limits. Our high-definition, full-color printing enables smarter segmentation and more relevant messaging—without slowing down production.
Direct mail gives you freedom to experiment. From uniquely folded self-mailers to textured coatings and even scented pieces, print marketing offers unmatched creative versatility.
This BMW mailer requires recipients to tear along the shape of a road to access the ad inside.
Want to try something bold? Our team specializes in helping clients push creative boundaries that get noticed.
With modern presses like our HP T250, switching between substrates (coated, uncoated, inkjet-treated) is seamless—eliminating bottlenecks and saving time.
At Century Direct, our production workflow is optimized for speed and precision, giving you full creative flexibility without sacrificing turnaround time.
Direct mail delivers strong ROI—even with smaller lists. Its higher response rate means you don’t have to cast a wide net to make an impact.
And with new automation tools and digital workflows, personalization and versioning are more affordable than ever.
Need help estimating costs? Request a quote here.
Direct mail isn’t just effective—it’s measurable. Here are a few common ways our clients track performance:
Unlike digital campaigns that can lead to unpredictable demand spikes, direct mail enables better forecasting. When you know when mail will hit households, you can prepare fulfillment and staffing accordingly.
At Century Direct, our integrated fulfillment services ensure a smooth experience from printing to delivery.
Direct mail enhances digital campaigns at every stage of the funnel. It can:
When used strategically, direct mail bridges the gap between digital intent and physical action.
Century Direct helps leading brands unlock the full power of direct mail with a unique blend of in-house technology, industry expertise, and turnkey execution.
Whether you're mailing to 1,000 or 1 million, we’ll help you design, print, personalize, and fulfill campaigns that drive real results. And with our roots in the acquisition of Design Distributors, we’ve only expanded our capabilities to serve you better.
Get in touch today to start your next campaign.
