Newspaper Ads: Better Than Direct Mail?

The other day I was talking to one of my marketing consultants and she was telling me about one of the business owners she had spoken to that day. He was a dentist, and their conversation has been about whether direct mail postcards or a newspaper blow-in (a flyer inserted into a newspaper) would provide the best bang for his marketing buck.

He ended up opting for the newspaper blow-in. Here’s why that is the wrong choice…

Before I throw some statistics at you to back up my claim that direct mail postcards give you more bang for your marketing buck, I want to clarify something. I am not just here to defend direct mail against any and all competing marketing options. I always have and always will operate on the philosophy that you should stick with what’s working (while always seeking to improve even more). I have just found over and over again that direct mail postcards work better and more efficiently than other methods for targeted lead generation, and I want other business owners to experience that success, too! Okay. To business…

Newspaper Circulation Dropoff
According to the Newspaper Association of America website, since 1990 – a few years before the internet became mainstream and forever changed the landscape of history – daily newspaper circulation has dropped from 62,328,000 households to 44,421,000. That means that 35% of the people reading newspapers in 1990 are no longer reading them today. Like it or not, the internet has changed the face of marketing, and not in a good way for newspapers. Your newspaper ad is getting seen by 35% fewer people than it used to, and I guarantee you that number is much, much higher for those under 35.

Direct Mail Holds Steady
According to stats compiled by Deliver Magazine in this incredibly useful infographic, 98% of consumers bring in their mail every day, and 77% sort it on the spot. Now, the great part about postcards is that there is no envelope to open. The message is immediately visible, so even those that don’t sort right away will likely still see your message. I would estimate that puts your immediate impact at around 85-90%, which will eventually go up near that 98% mark when the individual does sort the mail later.

So the number of people checking their mail hasn’t gone anywhere, but the number of people reading newspapers has been dropping precipitously since 1990. I know people say that direct mail is a dinosaur now that the internet is here, but that simply isn’t the case. People check their mail every day. Newspapers, on the other hand, are clearly in trouble. And so is your marketing if you put all your hope in them.

To start a discussion about what direct mail postcards can do for your business, call my marketing consultants at 800-628-1804.

Did you find this info helpful? Let me hear it in the comments!

Best,
Joy