DOES TRADITIONAL MAIL STILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN BUSINESS?

A question many people ask themselves in this digital age. And rightly so, because nowadays we mainly communicate via e-mail, chat and apps. In addition, many companies are already actively engaged in sustainability and ecologically responsible business, so that paperless offices are no longer an exception. We would almost forget that large quantities of classic mail are still being sent.

Now, the essence is that the answer to the above question is still a resounding ‘yes’. Traditional mail is still an important aspect of our business and will remain so for some time to come. How do we know this? We are happy to explain it to you…

OVERVIEW

Digital communication
Tablets, smartphones, laptops, they are prominent in our lives today. We communicate with each other through digital channels, increasingly read the newspaper online and are busy all day long with all kinds of apps, whether for professional or private purposes. So it’s not surprising that companies use digital channels to reach customers. After all, digital communication brings the message to the recipient in a faster and more efficient way. Or so we often think…

Digital newsletters, e-invoicing, direct mailings, they are all examples of digital communication that companies use, but do they have the desired effect? An abundance of e-mails can quickly cause an inbox to become overflowing and e-mails no longer arrive. Or e-mails are ignored by the recipient because they end up in the spam filter. So we can conclude that digital communication does not always guarantee that the recipient actually receives and reads the e-mail. Classical paper mail can then be a suitable alternative.

Traditional mail
If you take a look at the average contents of your mailbox, you may find a combination of official documents, invoices and/or payment reminders, direct mailings, and so on. These are documents that you, as a customer, should certainly have seen. The chance that you would have received and read these documents digitally, between all e-mail and chats, is much smaller.

In addition, classic mail still has the feeling of radiating more authority and being more personal. Emotion and reliability are two factors people are sensitive to. This is also one of the reasons why direct mail can have a positive effect: people feel personally addressed by the printed matter and really have something tangible in their hands. Results from a neurological study by Bangor University and branding agency Millward Brown support this proposition. The tangibility of physical mail provides a better connection in the brain. What we can feel and see is considered more ‘real’. Consequently, the tangible has a greater impact on our memory and emotions, so that we will remember a message better.

Another important aspect that increases the effectiveness of classic mail is that your direct mail, newsletter or invoice stands out in the slightly less full mailbox, as opposed to the often overflowing one.

Multi-channel strategy
The information we’ve just given you could confuse you and make you doubt which form of mail is best suited to your business communication. But you don’t have to choose between classic mail and digital mail. The best solution for your business communication is a good balance between the two. Through multi-channel communication, you achieve your goal in the most efficient way.

When you opt for this multi-channel approach, it is important that you define a good strategy for which channel you will use for which type of communication. If you fail to do so and are not consistent, this can lead to customer confusion or the feeling of being harassed. An important note here: respect the preference of your customers. After all, they always have the right to choose classic mail over digital and vice versa.

As you can see, classic mail still plays an important role in business, complementary to digital mail, depending on the nature of the message and the desired speed. Curious to find out how EasyPost can help you optimise your mail processing? Contact us now!