Direct Mail Vs Door Drop  

Which is better? This is something we get asked a lot and unfortunately there’s no easy answer. It all depends on who your target audience is, what type of brand you have and what your budget is. 

Direct Mail 

What Is Direct Mail? 

Direct mail is an addressed item of mail that is personalised to a recipient within the household. It is sent from a company or organisation that have your data, either because you interacted with them in the past, or they have bought data which includes your details from an external provider.  

Impression 

In terms of making an impression, direct mail has a proven track record of making an impact, especially when used as part of an integrated campaign, ie where there are several channels working together such as social media, direct mail and PPC. Mailreach provide insights, research and ideas around direct mail and they invest heavily into figuring out what works best. According to their data, a huge 9 out of 10 people open, read and file the mailing, with 35% of consumers making a donation, purchase or payment after receiving a piece of direct mail. 

As for making a lasting impression, direct mail is scoring highly, with stats showing that dm is 49% more memorable than email and 33% more engaging. There has long been the thought that online marketing is the only way forward, however with such strong numbers in favour of direct mail it’s important to consider if this is in fact the way that your customers like to be engaged with. 

Cost 

In terms of cost, direct mail is perhaps unsurprisingly the more costly option, with prices starting from around 30p per item compared to around 5p per door drop depending on the size and quantity. There are several factors which affect this, including design, mailing lists, print and distribution. Postage is perhaps the area which can save you the most money. Depending on your organisation there may be postage schemes that can cut down your outgoings – it’s best to check with an agency such as Webmart about this as we will know what you can qualify for.  

Before You Start 

As with all marketing strategies, it’s important to fully understand your target market before carrying out any activity. Ensure you have the basics such as clean data, an inviting design and a clear CTA. Sending out direct mail can be a time-consuming task so being prepared for this is half of the battle.  

Door Drop

What Is A Door Drop? 

Door drops don’t require personal data, they are dropped at houses based on postal sectors rather than direct mail which requires personalisation. This also makes door drops fully GDPR compliant. 

Impression 

Some interesting stats have come out of a joint report by Jicmail and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) carried out in 2022. Door drops volumes were up 33% in 2021, which makes this the fastest growing channel out of the three key mail channels (others being direct mail and business mail). Pre-conceived notions around the types of audience engaging with door drops has also been challenged, with upmarket ABC1 households now interacting with door drops more than in the C2DE social grade. Also, under 35s also interact with door drops more than any other age group, which goes against the notion that online is the only way to target this audience. To read more from the report, click here.  

Cost 

The cost for door drops is made up of several factors; the initial design, printing and the distribution method you choose. The first two are fairly self-explanatory and any good agency, such as Webmart, will be able to provide the most economical options for your budget. The distribution method is slightly trickier to cost as it will depend on which one you go for. We recommend: 

• Royal Mail 

Royal Mail gives the option to have door drops delivered at the same time as the household mail which gives an additional opportunity to be seen. 

Additional Options: 

• Solus 

• This option is delivered on its own, separate to Royal Mail. 

• Shared 

• Choosing this option means that your door drop will be delivered at the same time as other ones. This way is usually cheaper as you will be sharing the cost with the other advertisers. However this option means your mailing could have less visibility.  

You need to bear in mind that if you are wanting anything other than a standard sized leaflet, such as an unusual fold or wrapping, this will increase the price. 

Before You Start 

As with direct mail, understanding your target market before doing any form of letterbox marketing is essential. Creating an inviting design, with a clear CTA is the first step, before investigating which postcodes your target market resides in.  

Integrated Approach 

With both door drop and direct mail, they work much better when utilised as part of an integrated campaign. Stats from both Jicmail and Marketreach show time and time again, online actions are driven by first being primed by letterbox marketing. If you’re new to planning integrated campaigns or need some support to optimise an existing one, give us a call on 01869 321 321.