Direct Marketers have been on a quest to predict the “best” time to mail since Eisenhower was on the eight cent stamp! Would mailing on a Monday beat a Thursday? How about September over November? Timing of direct mail has always been critical to success.
But regardless of timing, one thing could always be assured: your mailbox would be crammed with direct mail every day. And this meant that your mail piece was in fierce competition with all the others for the recipient’s attention. There were simply too many offers in the mail. But, not anymore.
Mail volume is dropping every year. Computers and software are smarter; list compilers and data modelers are more sophisticated; improved merge/purge and data quality techniques are trimming the mail volume even more. Slowly the tide has shifted towards smaller, better targeted mailings.
And yet, Direct Mail continues to soldier on. Why? Because it works! It is still engaging, it is tactile, and it can still convey creativity in a way that no computer screen or mobile device will ever be able to do.
So, is NOW the perfect time to mail? Absolutely! And the reason is because not only does Direct Mail still maintain all its traditional advantages, but—and here is the crux of it—today’s mailbox is virtually empty.
Think about when you get your own mail at home. You’ll find a few bills, a catalog and maybe one or two advertising pieces. That’s it. Today’s average mailbox is barren compared to just a short decade ago. This creates an unprecedented opportunity for you. Your mailpiece has NO COMPETITION. You’ll get 100% of the recipient’s attention. Think of what you can do with that.