By Ann Guyer, President/CEO; PCS List & Information Technologies

I am asked frequently, by direct marketers and clients alike, ‘why are you still recommending postal addresses when EMAIL is what is happening now?’.
Here are 10 good reasons to print a postcard and put a stamp on it.

1. There are 75% more people identified and reachable by postal address than by EMAIL.
2. Postal addresses are 50% less transient than EMAIL addresses annually.
3. Mail pieces are tactile and have brand visual identity.
4. Many people have spam filters that will block delivery of advertising offers.
5. You stand out from the crowd when you arrive in the mail. (Do you get 100 pieces of mail to pore over (and trash) on a daily basis?)
6. Mail pieces have longevity. They sit on a person’s desk until the right moment. They have residual value.
7. When partnered with EMAIL, postal mail exponentiates the response probability.
8. Pass on value. If you didn’t reach the exact target maybe the person at the next desk needs your offer.
9. Some offers are demographically skewed towards direct mail. Older people are more likely to respond to direct mail than EMAIL.
10. Dollar for dollar, the cost will be pretty close. Even with the price of EMAIL coming down, response rates can be similar while you will find more postal names and addresses.

With economic tough times, postal mail just might be the “save for tomorrow” rescue for lagging sales.