11 Reasons Direct Mail works for Nonprofits

We have heard it all. And we think direct mail gets a bad rap. Long considered “junk mail” direct mail is seeing a new revival with the onslaught of emails sent to your inbox every day. That’s why we’re making the case with these 11 statistics.

There are articles out there stating why it’s making a resurgence. And then there are others, which support the idea that direct mail has a more lasting impression on donors than digital marketing.

Of course, we’re biased for mail, since that’s what we’ve done for 20 years. But since we’re also tasked with using digital mediums, email for instance, we thought we should make the case.

And it’s pretty convincing.

Here are 11 reasons you should consider direct mail marketing:

56% of donors think print marketing is the most trustworthy of all marketing channels.
Donors spend an average of 30 minutes reading mail on any occasion.
70% of Americans say that mail is more personal than the internet.
73% of donors said they prefer direct mail for brand communications because they can read it at their convenience.
Recipients read 56% of postcards, making them the most read mail pieces.
48% of people keep mail pieces for future reference.
79% of donors will act on a postcard immediately, compared to only 45% who say they deal with email immediately.
76% of Americans purchase because direct mail influenced them.
Response rates still top those of other mediums; the average response rate is 1.1-1.4% compared to .03% for email, .04% for internet display and .22% for paid search.
56% of consumers say they have tried a new business after receiving a postcard or letter, while 70% have renewed previous relationships with businesses.
44% of people said they had visited a website after receiving postcards; 34% searched online.

Now, since your focus is on building your nonprofit donations, why wouldn’t you consider adding more touch points to your annual appeals?

We are passionate about direct mail. In fact, we’ve shared statistics frequently for you to use in defense of direct mail. Finally, we put together an infographic for you to highlight some key statistics.

BCG Connect works with development and advancement offices in the education, nonprofit, and healthcare sectors. If you’re seeking direct marketing that reaches your donors in a timely, managed fashion, reach out to us today.