If you had gazed into a crystal ball this time last year and tried to predict one of the hottest eCommerce marketing trends in 2022, would you have picked direct mail? 🧐

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Didn’t think so.

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But much like high-waisted jeans, scrunchies, and platform shoes, this brushed-aside marketing channel has been making a major comeback.

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Here are five quick reasons why:

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1️⃣ Direct mail grabs attention in a way email does not

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When a piece of mail arrives at your house, addressed to you, it makes a much bigger impression because there is far less competition for your attention (move aside, real estate flyers and pizza coupons).

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And when that piece of mail is triggered against purchasing data in Klaviyo and features your first name in bold letters, it’s extremely hard to ignore.

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2️⃣ Direct mail is more cost-effective than most paid ads

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A quick Google search reveals that the average cost of a piece of printed mail is between $0.30 and $3.00.

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When you compare that to the average cost of a Facebook retargeting ad or SEM campaign, for most brands it’s no contest.

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3️⃣ It’s easy to DIY a direct mail test

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Not sure direct mail is the right move for your DTC brand? You already have the addresses of all your customers, and you should know how long ago they placed an order.

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Now all you have to do is:

• Pick a customer segment that you want to retarget
• Design a piece of direct mail with a QR code to a dedicated win-back landing page OR unique promo code for your customer to redeem next time they make a purchase
• Visit your local printing center
• Mail out your campaign
• Watch the data roll in over the next few weeks
• Scale up or walk away depending on the results

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4️⃣ It’s even easier to outsource to professionals

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If the steps above sounded like too much work, there are Shopify apps that will do the design work, printing and mailing for you.

PostPilot is an extremely popular choice used by DTC companies like TRUFF, Obvi, Run Gum, Jones Road Beauty, Bambu Earth, Pro Mix, Beardbrand, Orbit Baby, and CLEARSTEM.

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5️⃣ Direct mail is not widely adopted in ecommerce (yet)

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Remember reason #1 why direct mail has gotten a lot of interest from eCommerce brands this year? (Hint: It has to do with pizza coupons).

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You may be facing a lack of competition now, but as more brands start running tests and scaling campaigns, mailboxes (much like all our digital inboxes) will become overcrowded.

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As with most marketing channels, early adopters will have a huge advantage.

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Direct mail in action: A brief interview with Nathan Woods, former COO at Run Gum

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💬 How has Run Gum used direct mail to stay in touch with customers?

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“Engaging frequent customers with postcards just saying thank you, and sending attention-grabbing notes to customers who haven't purchased in 90,180, 365, or 720 days.”

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💬 How did you decide it was the right channel to invest in?

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“Testing a batch and turning on automation if it’s successful. Most campaigns see ROI in the 3x, 8x, 12x range, and beyond.”  

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💬 What was your creative strategy?

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“To scream out the personalization.”

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💬 Love that. And what’s the CTA on the postcards? Is there a unique promo code or offer? QR code?

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“Unique code (20-30% off) depending on the segment, and there is a QR code, too.”

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Has your brand already dove into testing with direct mail? Reply to this email and let us know how it’s going! Happy testing!