Despite the surge in digital communication methods, direct mail
continues to hold its own–delivering tangible, personalized
experiences that uniquely resonate with consumers. To highlight
direct mail’s enduring power and relevance, we’ve compiled this
list of 79 direct mail statistics. These insights underscore how
direct mail not only competes with but also complements your
digital marketing strategies, earning its place in your marketing
mix.
These statistics also reveal that direct mail’s tactile nature and
ability to deliver a personalized message create a memorable
experience for recipients. It’s no wonder that many brands
continue to allocate significant portions of their marketing
budgets to direct mail campaigns. From its unparalleled open rates
to its impressive ROI, direct mail demonstrates a unique
capability to cut through the digital clutter and connect with
audiences on a personal level.
Market Size and Opportunity
Response Rates and Engagement
Direct Email
ROI and Effectiveness
-
93%
Direct mail receives the highest ROI of 112% across all
mediums, followed by SMS (102%), email (93%), and paid
search (88%). [17] -
74 %
74% of marketers report getting the best ROI through
direct mail marketing compared to other promotional
channels. [10] -
4.4 %
Direct mail marketing yields an average response rate of
4.4%, compared to 0.12% for email. [18] -
56%
56% of people tried a new business in the past 6 months
because they received mail. [19] -
9%
Direct mail marketing has a 9% response rate when using an
in-house mailing list and 5% when using a purchased
mailing list. [20] -
28%
Utilizing direct mail and digital strategies can lead to
an approximately 28% increase in conversion rates. [12] -
39%
Companies can increase attention by about 39% by
integrating digital and direct mail campaigns, compared to
a single-media campaign. [20] -
30%
Consumers will spend about 30% longer looking at a social
media ad if they’ve been primed by a physical mailer. [21] -
1+day
Direct mail speeds up the purchase timeframe, with 73% of
purchase decisions taking only 1+ day. [10] -
77%
Website visits increased by 77% when direct mail was used
in marketing campaigns [9] -
64%
64% of marketers use direct mail to increase customer
purchases. [19] -
56%
56% of marketers use direct mail to increase program
signups through their marketing efforts. [9] -
75%
Direct mail can improve brand recall by 75% [22]
Consumer Preferences and Perceptions
-
93%
Direct mail receives the highest ROI of 112% across all
mediums, followed by SMS (102%), email (93%), and paid
search (88%). [17] -
74 %
74% of marketers report getting the best ROI through
direct mail marketing compared to other promotional
channels. [10] -
4.4 %
Direct mail marketing yields an average response rate of
4.4%, compared to 0.12% for email. [18] -
56%
56% of people tried a new business in the past 6 months
because they received mail. [19] -
9%
Direct mail marketing has a 9% response rate when using an
in-house mailing list and 5% when using a purchased
mailing list. [20] -
28%
Utilizing direct mail and digital strategies can lead to
an approximately 28% increase in conversion rates. [12] -
39%
Companies can increase attention by about 39% by
integrating digital and direct mail campaigns, compared to
a single-media campaign. [20] -
30%
Consumers will spend about 30% longer looking at a social
media ad if they’ve been primed by a physical mailer. [21] -
1+day
Direct mail speeds up the purchase timeframe, with 73% of
purchase decisions taking only 1+ day. [10] -
77%
Website visits increased by 77% when direct mail was used
in marketing campaigns [9] -
64%
64% of marketers use direct mail to increase customer
purchases. [19] -
56%
56% of marketers use direct mail to increase program
signups through their marketing efforts. [9] -
75%
Direct mail can improve brand recall by 75% [22]
Marketing Strategies and Trends
-
93%
Direct mail receives the highest ROI of 112% across all
mediums, followed by SMS (102%), email (93%), and paid
search (88%). [17] -
74 %
74% of marketers report getting the best ROI through
direct mail marketing compared to other promotional
channels. [10] -
4.4 %
Direct mail marketing yields an average response rate of
4.4%, compared to 0.12% for email. [18] -
56%
56% of people tried a new business in the past 6 months
because they received mail. [19] -
9%
Direct mail marketing has a 9% response rate when using an
in-house mailing list and 5% when using a purchased
mailing list. [20] -
28%
Utilizing direct mail and digital strategies can lead to
an approximately 28% increase in conversion rates. [12] -
39%
Companies can increase attention by about 39% by
integrating digital and direct mail campaigns, compared to
a single-media campaign. [20] -
30%
Consumers will spend about 30% longer looking at a social
media ad if they’ve been primed by a physical mailer. [21] -
1+day
Direct mail speeds up the purchase timeframe, with 73% of
purchase decisions taking only 1+ day. [10] -
77%
Website visits increased by 77% when direct mail was used
in marketing campaigns [9] -
64%
64% of marketers use direct mail to increase customer
purchases. [19] -
56%
56% of marketers use direct mail to increase program
signups through their marketing efforts. [9] -
75%
Direct mail can improve brand recall by 75% [22]
Personalization and Targeting
-
93%
Direct mail receives the highest ROI of 112% across all
mediums, followed by SMS (102%), email (93%), and paid
search (88%). [17] -
74 %
74% of marketers report getting the best ROI through
direct mail marketing compared to other promotional
channels. [10] -
4.4 %
Direct mail marketing yields an average response rate of
4.4%, compared to 0.12% for email. [18] -
56%
56% of people tried a new business in the past 6 months
because they received mail. [19] -
9%
Direct mail marketing has a 9% response rate when using an
in-house mailing list and 5% when using a purchased
mailing list. [20] -
28%
Utilizing direct mail and digital strategies can lead to
an approximately 28% increase in conversion rates. [12] -
39%
Companies can increase attention by about 39% by
integrating digital and direct mail campaigns, compared to
a single-media campaign. [20] -
30%
Consumers will spend about 30% longer looking at a social
media ad if they’ve been primed by a physical mailer. [21] -
1+day
Direct mail speeds up the purchase timeframe, with 73% of
purchase decisions taking only 1+ day. [10] -
77%
Website visits increased by 77% when direct mail was used
in marketing campaigns [9] -
64%
64% of marketers use direct mail to increase customer
purchases. [19] -
56%
56% of marketers use direct mail to increase program
signups through their marketing efforts. [9] -
75%
Direct mail can improve brand recall by 75% [22]
Integration with Digital Marketing
-
93%
Direct mail receives the highest ROI of 112% across all
mediums, followed by SMS (102%), email (93%), and paid
search (88%). [17] -
74 %
74% of marketers report getting the best ROI through
direct mail marketing compared to other promotional
channels. [10] -
4.4 %
Direct mail marketing yields an average response rate of
4.4%, compared to 0.12% for email. [18] -
56%
56% of people tried a new business in the past 6 months
because they received mail. [19] -
9%
Direct mail marketing has a 9% response rate when using an
in-house mailing list and 5% when using a purchased
mailing list. [20] -
28%
Utilizing direct mail and digital strategies can lead to
an approximately 28% increase in conversion rates. [12] -
39%
Companies can increase attention by about 39% by
integrating digital and direct mail campaigns, compared to
a single-media campaign. [20] -
30%
Consumers will spend about 30% longer looking at a social
media ad if they’ve been primed by a physical mailer. [21] -
1+day
Direct mail speeds up the purchase timeframe, with 73% of
purchase decisions taking only 1+ day. [10] -
77%
Website visits increased by 77% when direct mail was used
in marketing campaigns [9] -
64%
64% of marketers use direct mail to increase customer
purchases. [19] -
56%
56% of marketers use direct mail to increase program
signups through their marketing efforts. [9] -
75%
Direct mail can improve brand recall by 75% [22]
Citations
- https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/direct-mail-advertising-global-market-report
- https://facts.usps.com/table-facts/
- https://3berrygroup.com/direct-mail-in-the-us-whitepaper-sept-2023
- https://www.sequeldm.com/directmailreport
- https://www.marketingcharts.com/customer-centric/lead-generation-and-management-114152
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1328236/most-used-formats-direct-mail-us/
- https://www.marketreach.co.uk/sites/default/files/insights/WARC_Direct_Mail_Effectiveness_Report.pdf
- https://www.ana.net/miccontent/show/id/77211
- https://www.postalytics.com/direct-mail-statistics/
- https://www.lob.com/ebooks/2023-the-state-of-direct-mail
- https://www.postgrid.com/direct-mail-statistics/
- https://third-angle.com/blog/direct-mail-marketing-stats/
- https://www.epsilon.com/apac/insights/blog/6-direct-mail-stats
- https://www.usdatacorporation.com/blog/marketing-101-what-is-direct-marketing/
- https://www.dataaxleusa.com/blog/direct-mail-statistics
- https://www.dmnews.com/using-direct-mail-to-win-at-engagement-marketing/
- https://spectrummarketing.com/direct-mail-response-rate-report-2021/
- https://www.dmnews.com/dma-direct-mail-response-rates-beat-digital/
- https://www.uspsdelivers.com/how-marketers-like-you-use-direct-mail/
- https://sg360.com/the-future-of-direct-mail-2023-now-released/
- https://www.jicmail.org.uk/
- https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/doc/en/blogs/CPC_Neuroscience_EN_150717.pdf
- https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/channels-customers-trust-most-when-purchasing
- https://www.uspsdelivers.com/2020-2021-generational-research-report/
- https://www.edq.com/blog/direct-mail-vs-email/
- https://www.pb.com/docs/US/pdf/Microsite/Nonprofit/ed_np_getyourmailopened_05MailMoment.pdf
- https://www.quad.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/quad-the-direct-marketing-revolution-2023-white-paper.pdf
- https://www.rrd.com/macro-marketing
- https://www.uspsdelivers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/The_Future_of_Direct_Mail_White_Paper.pdf
