Mail isn’t the newest marketing tool, just one of the most effective

We admit it: Direct mail isn’t the latest technological breakthrough, it’s not getting reams of blogger coverage, it’s not on the list of “trends to watch.”

It’s just incredibly effective.

Direct mail is a highly reliable marketing tool. Whether you’re using a #10 envelope, a postcard or an intricately designed dimensional piece, mail gets attention and more important generates results you can measure.

But really, that’s just the beginning. Direct is also a powerful driver for results across the marketing spectrum. Got a Web site? Direct can drive more traffic and more sales. Got brick-and-mortar sites? Direct can push people to open the door and come inside. Hosting an event? Direct can bring customers to your booth. The list goes on and on.

Point is, direct mail is a highly effective tool all on its own (generating $15.60 per $1 spent, according to Direct Marketing Association research) but pair it with other marketing channels and it can deliver even more amazing results. One example: Studies consistently show that sending a printed catalog in the mail drives additional sales on a company’s Web site (research by Vovici EFM shows 96 percent of brands say their catalog drives online sales).

It’s a good thing, too, because navigating today’s marketing world is no easy feat. You need to be everywhere that your customers are when they’re making decisions — online, at home, in the office — providing information that gets your brand noticed and considered. That takes an extensive set of tools — online and offline — to ensure that your brand is there when they’re making a decision.

That’s why mail is so critical to the success of your brand. Not only can it permeate the barriers that so many other media face (Hey, even you, dear marketer, open your mailbox and take what’s inside into your house right away), but by integrating the other tools in your arsenal, it increases your ability to make the sale and drive additional revenue.

So, it may not be the subject of talk around the water cooler or the buzz on the Net. No worries. Truth is, direct mail remains as effective today as it has been for the past century, driving action, delivering sales and helping marketers get their messages heard.

So, listen to the buzz around all those new apps and technologies. Check out the “emerging media channels” and play around with the newest marketing tools. Just don’t bet your bottom line on them yet.