Addressable advertising & media communications take many forms, but what’s truly important is that they can help you connect with the people who are best suited to respond positively to your message. In other words, it can provide you with a much bigger bang for your advertising buck! Let’s take a closer look at addressable advertising and media communications, along with how it can help you increase your profits with digital ad campaigns. What is addressable advertising?
Addressable advertising can mean many different things, depending on the specific audience. However, in general terms, this form of advertising has measurable and confirmable metrics that prove it has reached its target audience.
Also known as addressable marketing or addressable media, the difference between addressable advertising and non-addressable advertising is stark. For example, non-addressable advertising could be a magazine ad. While it most likely will cause your phone to ring, it’s basically impossible to measure where their initial interest came from.
Addressable advertising, on the other hand, can be directly measured. Let’s say that you’re on Facebook, and you’ve looked up and/or clicked on several articles about WNBA star Caitlin Clark. Suddenly, you begin to see ads for Clark’s jerseys, t-shirts, etc. Facebook has used addressable advertising, combined with signal-based marketing, to capture your attention. Once you click on an ad, you’ve delivered a measurable and confirmable metric. Even better, because you’re interested in the topic, your odds of making a purchase shoot way up!
Benefits of addressable advertising
As of 2022, a whopping 67% of marketers indicated they were using addressable advertising methods. This is no surprise, as there are many benefits involved with using data driven insight to improve sales. As you read through the following list, keep the Caitlin Clark example listed above in mind:
The marketing rule of seven helps explain why it’s best to combine your marketing efforts. Essentially, the more often someone sees an ad for something, the more likely they are to pay attention and, ultimately, to make a purchase. In fact, combining your direct mail with a digital advertising campaign can provide you with a staggering conversion rate of 40%! [1]After you’ve sent out direct mail, use the following digital advertising campaign tips to increase the overall effectiveness of both ads:
Use your mailing list to target digital devices located in the same area. This will boost your signal by allowing people to receive your message multiple times. Furthermore, it will also extend your overall reach.
When someone sees your ad across multiple channels, they begin to feel more comfortable with the idea of buying something from your company. This leads to a 118% bump in response rates! [2]
You want to create the best digital ad campaigns to go with your direct mail, and fortunately, we can help you do just that!
Harness the power of your targeted mailing lists by using the same criteria when setting up your digital ads. You can—and should—make it so that you advertise to the same geographic regions that you sent your direct mail to. You can also drill down further by selecting specific ages, incomes, interests, etc.
Do you want to improve the effectiveness of your marketing while simultaneously enhancing customer experience and predicting trends in consumer behavior? Of course you do, and that’s exactly what data driven insights can provide. Using the following tips can provide your digital ad campaigns with a major boost!
And lastly, a responsive and engaging website will enhance your advertising efforts!
Finding a one-stop direct marketing communications company like Century Direct will allow you to achieve the best possible results! In fact, Century Direct can offer you omnichannel marketing campaigns, direct mail, real-time data insights, and much more. Addressable advertising is also a major part of what we do. We’ve been in business since 1932, and we’ve got the expertise and experience to take your company to the next level. Learn more today!
The U.S. Postal Service has delivered mail since 1863, so it’s natural that they’ve needed to do periodic price adjustments. What used to be fair upgrades, including raising their rates by one cent from 1995 to 1999, have now segued into changes twice a year. [1] Is it even still profitable to keep sending direct mail? It is, as you’ll soon find out!
When it comes to advertising, you’ve known for a long time that direct mail is where the money is. After all, 59% of marketing survey respondents indicated that direct mail—when added into a multichannel approach—resulted in a positive ROI. [2] However, as the cost of direct mail advertising prepares for yet another postal price increase, how can you keep your costs in line?
According to the USPS rates table, the average mail advertising cost will shoot up by 7.8% in July 2024. If you send out a smaller batch of direct mail (less than 500), you may utilize First Class rates, which are increasing by .05. [3] Either way, you’re going to feel the pinch in your budget.
Although there is nothing that can be done to convince USPS not to increase their rates, there are ways you can reduce your associated expenses.
Using current trends can offer you great benefits. For example, if you place a QR code on your direct mailers, you’ll be eligible for the Emerging and Advanced Technology promotion. You can also place the “Hey Alexa” prompt on your mailers to help minimize the blow of the USPS rate increase.
Utilizing postal optimization and logistics is one of your best overall choices. Let’s say that the latest USPS rate changes will make you send out fewer mailers. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, as long as you incorporate data modeling into your approach. Essentially, you’ll be able to choose who should be dropped from your mailing list by letting data modeling indicate who is most likely to respond. In other words, you can reduce the total number of mailers you send out without sacrificing your response rate.
Taking advantage of various USPS promotions and discounts can save you a lot of money! For instance, if you sent out more than 1 million pieces of mail last year, you may qualify for a 30% discount. We’ll go over these USPS incentives and promotions in greater detail later in this article.
Are you relying on a mailing list that is more than a year old? It’s time to double check that your data is still correct. In fact, a visit to the National Change of Address (NCOA) website can help ensure postage savings by eliminating your outdated information. [4]
Even with the latest price increase, direct mail is still your best option to achieve a positive ROI. In fact, 67% of marketers claim it provides the best ROI out of their advertising options. [5] You can increase your ROI by up to 60% by sending direct mail to the same recipients. By taking similar multichannel steps, you should be able to boost your ROI enough to counter the new USPS rates. This is in addition to the helpful tips listed below.
We promised more info on incentives that would provide postage discounts, so let’s dig into this very helpful topic! As previously mentioned, you may be eligible to receive 30% off future mailings. There are three pieces of criteria you must meet to enroll in this program.
If you qualify for this program, you’ll receive postage credits at three points throughout 2024.
Make sure you go to your USPS Business Customer Gateway account to register for USPS promotions. Failure to do so can cause a significant delay in getting approved. Next, look into each of the following programs. [6]
Each individual promotion lasts between three and six months. Therefore, you should be able to utilize at least two promotions per year.
The best way to take advantage of each tip listed above is by partnering with an experienced direct mail marketing company. At Century Direct, we’ve been providing cost-effective, high-quality campaigns since 1932. We use state-of-the-art equipment to produce your direct mail, and we utilize any savings you have coming to you such as nonprofit bulk mail rates.
Between our omnichannel marketing, postal optimization and logistics, addressing and inserting services, and our digital printing, bindery, and data management, we’ve got the skills and experience to take your direct mail to the next level. Plus, we remain up to date on any USPS incentives and promotions to ensure you get the best possible rate! Trust our experience, and you’ll receive great results every single time.
Are you ready to send out direct mail that’s been optimized to provide you with a better ROI? Turn to Century Direct today, and let us show you how much of a difference spending almost 100 years in business can make!
SOURCES:
1 https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/domestic-letter-rates-since-1863.htm
2 https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15776-direct-mail-marketing-guide-for-small-businesses.html
3 https://faq.usps.com/s/article/2024-Postage-Price-Change#july_2024_price_change
4 https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing-and-shipping-services/NCOALink
5 https://www.lob.com/ebooks/the-state-of-direct-mail
6 https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions/2024-cal
As you probably already know, direct mail actually has a higher response rate than digital advertising. However, it’s critical to take full advantage of your direct mailers if you want to meet and exceed your goals.
There are several ways to improve response rates, including partnering with an experienced, knowledgeable direct mail company. But first, let’s talk about factors that influence response rates for direct mail campaigns.
The most seasoned direct mail experts consistently wrestle with fine tuning their direct mail campaigns to get the best response rates. The factors that influence campaign performance are many, including:
So how do you gauge a baseline response rate? And how do you determine what to refine in your strategy to cut through the advertising noise and achieve higher response rates for direct mail?
Most direct mail campaigns will receive a response from approximately 2.7% to 4.4% of receivers.[1] To put this into perspective, a digital ad online only has a 0.3% average, and emails generate 0.6%.[2] Ultimately, a goal for your direct mail response rate will be determined by lots of factors, but establishing a baseline and refining your direct mail campaign strategy is your best bet to improving your ROI.
Every day, people are inundated with advertisements — at least 4,000 total ads per day, which includes direct mail, online ads, TV ads, etc. To get the best direct mail response rate possible, you’ll need to take several steps to ensure your direct mail message stands out in the mailbox.
The good news? Over 30% of Gen Z relies on direct mail advertising, and Boomers are over 50%. In other words, each generation pays more attention to their mail than you might think. By putting the following ideas into place, you can help drive even higher mail engagement, no matter who your audience is.
Sometimes, direct mail can be sent to the wrong people, wasting your valuable advertising dollars. Understanding key demographics can help you avoid sending ads for lawn care or home renovations, for instance, to people who live in an apartment community.
TIP: Know your direct mail mailing list and invest in quality data to help you target the right people for the right reasons. Plus, you’ll be able to tailor your messages and creative to specific audience segments, which can greatly enhance your direct mail ROI.
Great direct mail companies already have access to updated demographics information. At Century Direct, we compile consumer information through affiliates such as the National Change of Address (NCOA), USPS Informed Delivery, and expert data collection and assessment.
It’s no secret that we all have personal preferences. Maybe you like a red car, but your co-worker prefers blue. With personalized messaging, you can increase your response rates for direct mail by tailoring the words and pictures in your design to align with your audiences preferences. You might send a high-class neighborhood an upscale direct mail piece while saving the cost of fancy finishes on oil change advertisements that go to the general public who own mid-sized, mid-priced cars. Bottom line: Groups of people value different things, and you want your direct mail to play well with varying audiences.
TIP: Be aware that the National Change of Address program doesn’t typically forward direct mail. Therefore, it’s critical to keep your mailing lists up to date in order to align messaging and creative.
The USPS is on a trend of raising their rates approximately twice per year, which keeps driving up the cost of sending direct mail.[3] In order to get the best response rate possible, you’ll want to take advantage of design protocol to qualify for postal discounts. At Century Direct, our USPS experts can help you assess your direct mail design and optimize it for USPS delivery with our Postal Optimization and Logistics services. We’ll consult with you regarding mail piece size, dimensions, packaging, delivery logistics and more.
TIP: Your audience wants to know they’re special. Using their name can raise responsiveness by 135%,[4] so don’t forget about personalization! Personalized content always gets a better response rate than a general mailing.
Who doesn’t like an offer they can’t refuse? Including a unique offer or discount is a great way to boost your direct mail response rate. Whether your goal is to acquire new customers, retain current ones, or increase brand awareness, identify something meaningful to your audience and deliver a delightful surprise they just can’t pass up!
TIP: Adding a bit of urgency never hurts either! Including “for a limited time only” or “while supplies last” can increase response rates, too.
Through the help of a knowledgeable IP data provider and USPS informed delivery, you can target recipients before and after your direct mail lands in homes by integrating digital ads. Without the help of third party cookies, your targeting will be much more accurate and timely. Plus, you can target devices by matching physical addresses to IP addresses.
When it comes to integrating digital ads with your direct mail campaign, devising the right strategy from the start, tracking and follow up campaigns are paramount to improving your direct mail marketing response rates.
Speaking of tracking…
The best way to monitor, measure, and adjust your direct mail strategy is to track your campaigns from start through follow up. From determining ROI and cost-effectiveness to enhancing your planning abilities for future direct mail campaigns, working with a direct mail company that provides data in real-time equips you to:
TIP: Finding a direct mail company that provides a dashboard where you can see all the data in one place is a big win!
Ultimately, as seasoned as any marketing director or company stakeholder may be in their direct mail marketing efforts, the best way to increase your response rates for direct mail is to partner with an expert direct mail marketing company. They work in the industry every day, and can help you stay up-to-date on the latest direct mail solutions, tactics, and strategies to meet and exceed your goals.
At Century Direct, we believe you deserve expert, responsive guidance to tackle every direct mail project with transparency and timeliness. We understand the complex, evolving landscape of direct mail marketing. That’s why since 1932, we’ve helped businesses and nonprofits efficiently strategize, produce, deliver, and track direct mail campaigns to meet and exceed their response rate goals. Contact us to get started today!
What’s a good direct mail response rate to plan for?
Most programs see ~2.7–4.4% responses; benchmark early, then optimize to CPA and ROI rather than chasing a single “good” rate.
Which levers have the biggest impact on response?
List quality/segmentation, a compelling offer, relevant creative, precise in-home timing, and coordinated follow-ups (email, digital ads, additional mail).
How do I build (and maintain) the right mailing list?
Start with quality data and hygiene (NCOA, CASS/DPV, address validation), filter by fit (e.g., homeowners vs. renters), and segment audiences by intent and value.
How personalized should my mail be?
Use variable data (name, images, offers) by segment; strong personalization can meaningfully lift response and lower CPA.
Which formats work best for different goals?
Postcards for quick offers; letters for financing/recall or sensitive topics; self-mailers for events; catalogs/booklets for showcasing inventory or multi-SKU stories.
Most actions within 1–3 weeks of in-home.
Sources:
2. https://www.ana.net/miccontent/show/id/rr-2018-ana-dma-respose-rate
4. https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/direct-mail-statistics#
