What is a Mailer? Direct Mail Marketing 101

It is likely you have a spam folder set up in your email inbox, right? It would be impossible to sort through your inbox otherwise. However, spam filters sometimes get rid of important emails, and it is impossible to retrieve them! When advertising, it can be difficult to bypass these filters. 

Direct mailing provides an alternative to digital marketing, and it ensures you deliver your message to clients. At this point, you might be asking yourself, "What is a mailer?" We are here to help you out! Check out our guide below to learn all you need to know about direct mail marketing!

What Is a Mailer: The Basics

If you are more familiar with digital marketing, you may be wondering, "What is a mailer?" While digital marketing has become an integral part of advertising, direct mail marketing is still a remarkably effective marketing strategy.

Direct mail is a physical piece of marketing material that is sent to someone's home address. Typically this is a letter, brochure, postcard, newsletter, or a flyer. Direct mailers are perfect for introducing promotions and highlighting new products. If you are running a sale, it is an ideal place to provide coupons for your customers. Digital coupons can get lost amidst a crowded email inbox. Alternatively, a paper coupon is a constant reminder of your brand and its current sales. Direct mailers are also great for thanking customers for their patronage and reminding them of your services. If you have a smaller client base, this is a perfect opportunity to personalize your mailers to develop a more intimate relationship with your customers.

Why You Should Use a Direct Mailer

Direct mailers work very well in conjunction with digital marketing. It is important to note this because direct mailers work well to expand your reach. For example, customers who aren't active on social media will likely be more receptive to direct mail advertising.

Direct mailers also are more noticeable to traditional consumers. Many people will scroll the web while completely ignoring ads, but it is much harder to do that offline. A person must at least flip through their mail before tossing anything, so direct mailers are a more distinctive way to grab their attention.

Direct Mail Techniques

If you have a larger budget and want to heavily invest in direct mailers, you might choose to opt for standalone mailers. In this case, you are buying individual pieces to send out that will only feature your marketing materials. This is wise if you want to communicate one-on-one with clients, and there are more personalization options.

If you want to slim down your direct mailing marketing budget, you can choose to participate in a shared mailer. Usually, these are magazines or pamphlets, such as Clipper Magazine, that contain ads from multiple businesses.

Shared mailers can be quite effective if your goal is to widen your clientele since these types of magazines are typically distributed indiscriminately. However, there is less choice when it comes to customization, and it is possible that you will be advertising alongside competitors.

An Alternative to Digital Ads

Direct mailers are far from being a thing from the past. With the guide above, you will no longer have to ask, "What is a mailer?" Direct mail is a great marketing approach, and it can be useful for just about every industry!

To learn more or to create your own mailers, check out the rest of our site!

Revised June 17, 2024