Comments on: Snail-mail blows away email for lead-gen

By: creativeonion

creativeonion — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:28:47 +0000

Very interesting stats, and I like the questions they raise. I'm sure that certain demographics have some influence over which audience responds more to snail mail vs. email. Although as a copywriter I'm biased, I think the aim and quality of content is critical to a marketing piece – whether it's paper or virtual. I recently wrote an email blitz for a client who wanted to provide clients and leads with free advice for ways to save on marketing, no strings. I'll be interested to see whether or not that approach is “doin' it right.”

By: AJ Sweatt

AJ Sweatt — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:26:19 +0000

Push media isn’t dead – it’s just morphing. There is still a strength to it if expectations are appropriate and as long as it’s done right. Push media still introduces prospects to things they didn’t know they needed. While email is also a form of push media, it’s hard to discern its value amongst 64 other subject lines. Mail can sure still do that. A Web site – BTW – is there to introduce prospects to things they already know they need, but aren’t sure where to find them.

(That’s not meant to be a policy, but it’s a darned good guide to use in terms of what message to put where.)

And Mike, you’re spot-on. The value of the lead is ultimately determined by the quality of the lead, not the cost to get it.

By: AJ Sweatt

AJ Sweatt — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:26:00 +0000

(That’s not meant to be a policy, but it’s a darned good guide to use in terms of what message to put where.)

And Mike, you’re spot-on. The value of the lead is ultimately determined by the quality of the lead, not the cost to get it.

By: Mike Volpe

Mike Volpe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:24:48 +0000

Judging success is not about response rates, it is about cost and ROI. So depending on what the survey responses were actually worth to the company, the direct mail may or may not have been worth it.

Assuming the piece cost $1 to print and mail, they spent $100,000 for 3,100 “leads”, which is $32 per lead. And again, these leads were already in their database, so you just spent $32 to get additional information about them. Without knowing the business model and target customer acquisition costs or how that additional information helped improve lead quality or sales close rates, it’s impossible to know if this was a good campaign or not.

I wonder what would have happened if they used email, but offered a $20 gift card to everyone who filled out the survey. I bet they would have gotten far more than 3,100 responses, and their cost per lead would have been 30% less than the program you described above ($20 vs. $32) with a much higher response rate. More leads at a lower cost sounds good to me…

By: Mike Volpe

Mike Volpe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:24:00 +0000

Judging success is not about response rates, it is about cost and ROI. So depending on what the survey responses were actually worth to the company, the direct mail may or may not have been worth it.

By: Michele

Michele — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:50:58 +0000

I find this very interesting. Personally I throw away all junk snail mail and only check my mailbox a couple of times per month. On the other hand, I have my email open every moment I’m awake. I do hate junk mail just as much as the next person though

By: Michele

Michele — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:50:00 +0000

By: creativeonion

creativeonion — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:33:21 +0000

Very interesting stats, and I like the questions they raise. I’m sure that certain demographics have some influence over which audience responds more to snail mail vs. email. Although as a copywriter I’m biased, I think the aim and quality of content is critical to a marketing piece – whether it’s paper or virtual. I recently wrote an email blitz for a client who wanted to provide clients and leads with free advice for ways to save on marketing, no strings. I’ll be interested to see whether or not that approach is “doin’ it right.”

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By: Marty Thom

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