The past year has been transformative for the majority of organisations and individuals throughout the UK and across the globe. In this digital age, it is safe to say that most of us will receive news and information through methods such as television, email or social media. Despite this, there is still a demand for printed mail, which has made a huge impact throughout the past 12 months, and is set to become increasingly normalised as we navigate and move through these new and unprecedent times.
An option for all
Although many businesses use a wide range of communication strategies, customers will always prefer certain methods over others. For example, it would not be incorrect to say that the older generation are most likely to prefer printed mail and feel that this is a safer and more reliable option. This is likely due to the fact that they are less equipped with technical methods such as email and texting, and are aware of the stories related to technologies such as hacking and cybercrime.
On the other hand, the younger generation are much more familiar with digital communication and will often opt for this, be it with appointment reminders, subscriptions or mailing lists. That being said, recent research has found that 32 percent of young people prefer direct mail to online ads and 66 percent said they would use a voucher if they had it delivered to their door, rather than found online. Additionally, 64 percent would rather look for useful information on brands and services in their mail, rather than looking online.
The 12-month change
The pandemic has inevitably affected all kinds of business procedures. Further research has confirmed that printed channels have been incredibly well received during the last year. It has found that interactions are up by 16 percent compared to March last year, and ‘door drop’ interactions have increased by 45 percent in the UK market.
Direct mail has seen the largest increase in the medical sector, increasing by 11 percent to 5.02 interactions on average. It also increased by nine percent to 1.23 as respondents were sharing mail with others within the home. To put this into perspective, if the National Health Service (NHS) mailed out 1,000,000 packs to individuals at the height of the pandemic, it would have in fact reached 1,230,000 individuals and generated over 5,000,000 impressions. These statistics suggest that the events over the past year has proven how efficient printed mail is, despite the focus around technical alternatives.
Reaping the benefits
For companies to reap the benefits of printed mail, one option they should think about is franking machines. These can help businesses take full advantage of low postal tariffs, while streamlining business operations and improving return on investment. Franking machines track what is spent on print and postage, meaning users have full oversight of where and how money is being spent. With the last year causing financial uncertainties for almost every industry, franking machines are revolutionising printed mail.
Right now, it has never been more important for individuals to feel valued and for businesses to be conscious about finances. This year has caused uncertainty in almost every way, but one thing we can agree on is the advantages that come from sending and receiving printed mail. Find out more about how Quadient franking machines can help.
