Research found that the human attention span is decreasing.
Human Attention Span in 2000: 12 seconds
Human Attention Span in 2018: 8 seconds
Goldfish Attention Span: 9 seconds
Stating that we “no longer live in a world of Gutenbergs but in a world of Zuckerbergs,” Gerhard Märtterer, Eversfrank, highlights the focus our society sets when consuming content. All is digital. Content must deliver all the relevant information, emotions and call to actions—in just split seconds.
The vital question is: Should marketers only provide “snackable” content in the future?
Märtterer suggests using a slightly different approach.
At the Düsseldorf Event Days of Media Production, he spoke about the new role of print in a data driven world. Print may be threatened by digital marketing, but more and more marketers have discovered printed direct mail to be an effective method to complement digital marketing efforts to provide relevant information with emotional value and the power to catch the reader’s eye for a significantly longer time.
Targeting customers across different media channels provides more touchpoints and a higher chance of customers interacting with marketing content.
50-70% of customers abandon their shopping cart when shopping online. Marketers can use this as a trigger to retarget this specific target group by sending out a personalized direct mail with further information and discounts. Additionally, marketers can make use of different event triggers like the weather, bonus card points or the customer’s birthday for marketing automations.
Using direct mail in retargeting works—order rates are higher with direct mail than without.
“Given that it’s quick (items can be sent out within 24 hours), and makes customers feel valued, it’s no surprise that campaigns which integrate programmatic mail have a higher response rate than those that do not,” Märtterer notes.
Go Local
Why not send uncertain online shoppers a personalized direct mail piece with a personalized map that shows them where their next branch is and how to get there? You might want to add a voucher or discount to your mailing and there you go—a personalized, relevant and eye catching mailing with a clear call to action.