Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways
- Direct mail is back: Print works differently — and better — in our brains. Research shows that physical materials improve recall and comprehension. Direct mail also requires less and creates stronger emotional responses than digital ads.
- Every generation sees mail as more trustworthy. Roughly 76% of consumers say they trust direct mail, compared to just 43% who trust ads on social media.
- The best results come from integrating print with digital. Mail creates credibility and emotional connection. Digital reinforces that message and makes it easy to respond.
We’re living in a strange time for marketing.
We’ve never had more ways to reach people, and yet it’s never been harder to actually stick in their minds. Messages flash by. Feeds refresh endlessly. Ads disappear the second you scroll.
But the things we can touch, hold, and spend time with … those linger. They’re processed differently by the brain, and they’re recalled more clearly after the moment has passed.
That’s where print — and the tangible experience it creates — lives.
Some of the biggest brands in the world have quietly come to the same conclusion. Walmart launched its first-ever home catalog just a few months ago on the heels of J.Crew and Patagonia bringing theirs back. Nordstrom returned to mail with a new piece this past Christmas that’s fully interactive — complete with stickers! And IKEA expanded beyond catalogs by mailing a letter that was also a flat-packed apartment.
None of these companies abandoned digital. They balanced it. It’s a high-wire act that I’ve spent years mastering. My current marketing outlay includes mailing over 232,000 postcards and spending more than $50,000 on digital advertising each and every week! I hear you wondering: “How’s that working out for you?”
Well, we entered 2020 as a $60 million business, and last year we nearly hit $120 million in annual revenue.
The truth is clear: Direct mail is back. Here’s why it’s happening.
Print works differently — and better — in our brains
There’s real science behind this.
A study conducted by the University of Tokyo showed stronger recall among participants when writing on physical paper instead of using digital devices for notes. Researchers concluded that the tactile quality of paper was a key factor in helping the brain encode information more effectively.
Additional university research reinforces these findings. A more recent study from the University of Valencia found comprehension is 6-8 times higher with physical reading materials, and that print helps readers take in and recall information more effectively.
Print is also easier on the brain. Research shows people expend 21% less cognitive effort when engaging with physical mail compared to digital ads. Less effort means less resistance — and more openness to the message.
And mail doesn’t just stick in people’s minds; it hits them emotionally, too. Research highlighted by the USPS found that people felt more excitement and desire for the products being advertised when they interacted with direct mail compared to digital ads.
For me, it’s simple: We’re human beings, and direct mail offers the type of experience we’re biologically engineered to respond to.
Every generation sees mail as more trustworthy
There’s a persistent myth that younger generations prefer digital while older generations favor traditional marketing. But the data tells a very different story:
About 72% of Gen Z say they’d be disappointed if they stopped getting mail altogether, and 82% of millennials say they find print ads more trustworthy than digital ones. And a majority of both (81% of Gen Z and 78% of Millennials) wish it were easier to disconnect from digital devices.
That trust gap shows up across all age groups. Roughly 76% of consumers say they trust direct mail, compared to just 43% who trust ads on social media. What’s even more telling is 39% of consumers say they’re less likely to trust brands that communicate only through digital channels.
That tells you something important. Trust is built when your marketing shows up in the real world and in more than one place. That’s why the best strategy isn’t print or digital — it’s both. Mail creates credibility and emotional connection. Digital reinforces that message and makes it easy to respond.
Leverage this by reinforcing your marketing across different channels with a cohesive message. Use the same images, colors and offers when you can, and ensure that cohesive feeling translates from one step to the next — from direct mail to online ad to landing page or website.
Each marketing channel should echo and reinforce the others, guiding prospects from awareness to interest while building enough confidence to prompt action.
The grassroots results of small businesses trying direct mail are eye-opening
Yes, global household names are bringing back direct mail. But the real proof shows up in small and mid-sized businesses every single day.
I’ve seen countless firsthand examples that direct mail grows businesses at every stage.
For more than two decades, my team has collected and published 1,168 real-world case studies showing how print mail drives trust, recognition and results — and we’re still adding new success stories every single day. Here are just a few of the most recent ones contributing to the grassroots comeback of direct mail.
One of my ecommerce clients credits integrated online and offline marketing with growing her business from just two employees to 12 and more than doubling her average sale from $24 to $54. Just as important, it helped her step out of the long shadow of Amazon’s marketplace and build a brand she owns and controls.
A real estate investor tied direct mail retargeting into his follow-up, sending postcards automatically to website visitors who left his site without converting. He mailed 111 postcards and closed on a new property worth $70,000 in revenue. He only spent $647 on this approach, putting his ROI at a staggering 10,710%.
These aren’t outliers. They’re what happens when print is used strategically, consistently and as part of a bigger system.
If your goal is to be remembered, trusted and chosen — the evidence is clear.
Direct mail isn’t old-fashioned. It’s human. And when you test it, integrate it and stick with it, you’ll understand why so many business owners and marketers keep reaching for it.
Sign up for the Entrepreneur Daily newsletter to get the news and resources you need to know today to help you run your business better. Get it in your inbox.
Key Takeaways
- Direct mail is back: Print works differently — and better — in our brains. Research shows that physical materials improve recall and comprehension. Direct mail also requires less and creates stronger emotional responses than digital ads.
- Every generation sees mail as more trustworthy. Roughly 76% of consumers say they trust direct mail, compared to just 43% who trust ads on social media.
- The best results come from integrating print with digital. Mail creates credibility and emotional connection. Digital reinforces that message and makes it easy to respond.
We’re living in a strange time for marketing.
We’ve never had more ways to reach people, and yet it’s never been harder to actually stick in their minds. Messages flash by. Feeds refresh endlessly. Ads disappear the second you scroll.
