Does Direct Mail Still Work? 40 Direct Mail Statistics to Convince You it Does

“Direct mail is old-school, not used anymore, doesn’t work, too expensive…” we have heard it all. But here’s a little secret: all those beliefs are just myths. Here are 40 of our favorite direct mail statistics that will convince you physical mail can still shine in today’s digital marketing haze.

How effective is direct mail marketing?

Is direct mail effective? Absolutely. Consumers across all demographics respond to mail because our brains simply cannot resist. Neuroscience research has found physical action of holding print advertising plays an influential role in consumer decision-making and purchasing behaviors. The following direct mail marketing statistics validate mail’s impact on audience response.

• 9 out of 10 consumers engage with promotional mail (USPS)
• 55% of consumers look forward to checking their mail everyday (World Metrics)
• Direct mail has an average engagement rate of 95% (MarketReach)
• Direct mail generates 108 seconds of attention across 28 days (JIC Mail)
• Direct mail response rates are twice as high as digital ads (ANA)
• Consumers are most comfortable receiving direct mail advertisements, and rely on print for making smart purchasing decisions (Marketing Charts)
• 67% of marketers say their direct mail performance improved over the last 12 months, more than any other channel (Franklin Madison Direct)
• At least half of all respondents consider direct mail to be more effective than digital marketing for key objectives such as winback campaigns, new customer acquisition, and customer upsell or cross-sell (Franklin Madison Direct)
• More than 70% of consumers engage with the mail they receive (Franklin Madison Direct)
• Direct mail is the #2 most influential advertising channel in 2025 (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 24% of consumers made a purchase in the last 6 to 12 months because of a direct mail piece they received (Franklin Madison Direct)

What is direct mail’s return on investment (ROI)?

Marketers new to direct mail may experience sticker shock, but when done correctly, this form of marketing is very profitable. Plus, there are a variety of affordable ways to enter the mail channel, including automation or shared programs. The following statistics demonstrate that mail by itself, or integrated into an omnichannel strategy, can produce a healthy ROI.

• 54% of marketers report a direct mail cost per acquisition (CPA) in the range of $100–$249 (Franklin Madison Direct)
• Marketers are also reporting direct mail costs remain efficient, as the average cost per acquisition (CPA) for all direct marketing campaigns is skewing higher than mail alone (Franklin Madison Direct)
• Marketers saw their ROI increase by 60% when combining direct mail with digital channels (USPS)
• Using direct mail and digital marketing channels together increased website visits by 68%, increased response rates by 63%, and resulted in a 40% conversion rate (USPS)
• Direct mail ROI has surpassed digital mediums with an average ROI of 43% and average response rate of 9% (ANA)
• 97% of marketers report improved campaign results when they have a landing page that’s consistent with their mail design (Franklin Madison Direct)

Who uses direct mail marketing?

If you believe direct mail is outdated or unused, think again. Statistica Market Insights data shows direct mail advertising in the United States is forecasted to reach $20.38 billion in 2024. If you have not mailed yet, now is a great time to test the channel! Here’s how modern mailers are adding mail into the marketing mix.

• The 2025 direct mail advertising market is projected to reach $22.92 billion, with an expected annual growth rate of 1.25% (Statista)
• In 2024, the USPS delivered 59.4 billion pieces of Marketing Mail (USPS)
• 87% of marketers plan to maintain or grow their investment in direct mail (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 57% of marketers are mailing to winback/remarketing audiences each month, up from 38% in 2024 (Franklin Madison Direct)
• Nearly half of marketers now use automation software or online platforms (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 80% of marketers are coordinating campaigns to drive traffic from direct mail to digital channels (USPS)
• Top industries include financial services, insurance, healthcare, real estate, automotive, retail, education, and telecommunications (Franklin Madison Direct)

How to design a successful direct mail piece:

To create the best mailer for your campaign, you must understand your target audience and their purchasing habits. Since social media and digital advertising has decreased attention spans, your direct mail piece will need these five essential elements to generate higher response rates:

1. Brand Consistency: Maintain brand consistency to tell (or remind) the reader who you are and what you provide to complement your brand experience.
2. Fonts & Colors: Establish a hierarchy of information to lead the reader through the piece of mail by using a structured layout, brand-established fonts, sizes, and colors. Consider your audience closely to appeal to their typography needs.
3. The Diagonal Scan: Readers first scan printed material from the upper left corner, diagonally across the page, down to the lower right corner. Digital readers follow an “F” pattern — across the top, down the left, across the middle, back to the left margin, and down the screen. Place your CTA and special offers accordingly.
4. Images: You already know your brain loves images! Showcase lifestyle imagery of people using your product or enjoying your service throughout your piece.
5. The Call to Action: As the most important direct mail design element, your CTA needs to provoke emotion to convince your potential customers to act. It needs to be noticeable, repeated, and repeated again throughout the piece.

Creating a high performing direct mail control is a result of strategic testing, industry research, and good ole’ direct response design experience. Templates have evolved past the traditional brand awareness postcard or white letter envelope, to include a variety of self-mailers and even lumpy packages. The following direct mail statistics show what’s trending in mailboxes:

• 83% of marketers now use personalized landing pages (PURLs) to drive digital engagement from mail (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 77% include campaign specific landing pages, and 59% incorporate QR codes to create seamless, trackable user journeys (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 59% of consumers keep interesting mail to refer to later, valuing its tangibility and usefulness (up 4% from 2024) (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 38% of marketers plan to use more print collateral than they do today to boost online conversions (FedEx)
• 37% of marketers say a top advantage of a direct mail channel is its ability to integrate with digital campaigns (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 74% of new customers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand who prioritizes high-quality creative content in their marketing campaigns (Celtra research)
• Personalization ranks as the #1 advantage of direct mail (39% of marketers) (Franklin Madison Direct)
• Copy is becoming more concise in direct mail campaigns. Word count in mailers has declined by 62% (Who’s Mailing What!)
• Clear, concise messaging and relevant offers drive better consumer perception (Franklin Madison Direct)
• Coupons or special offers are the most influential attribute for consumers (78%) (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 38% of consumers state that receiving both a mail piece and a digital ad from the same brand increases their awareness and consideration (Franklin Madison Direct)
• High quality visuals and print matter, 48% of consumers say premium packaging increases their positive impression (Franklin Madison Direct)
• Nearly all marketers (95%) test creative quarterly or more, and the majority test 11–20% of their volume (Franklin Madison Direct)
• 55% of marketers test their audience data sources quarterly, making it a foundational element of campaign planning in 2025 (Franklin Madison Direct)

And timing matters too:

• 44% of consumers say they need to receive 2–3 mailings before taking action (Franklin Madison Direct)
• Only 27% say one piece is enough, so frequency and follow up are key (Franklin Madison Direct)
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Successful direct mail case studies

If 40 direct mail statistics wasn’t enough to prove to you the value of direct mail marketing, here are four case studies from today’s top mailers.

When this investment brand’s digital campaign’s conversions plateaued, they turned to direct mail to produce a higher number of leads. Here is the outcome:

• Mail volume increased 7x following launch
• 80% of data models met/exceeded CPA goals
• Prospect sales rate increased by 10%

This DTC brand was ready to expand their marketing strategies offline with direct mail to drive sustainable growth. Here is the outcome:

• Produced incremental revenue of $7MM
• Grossed nearly 6,000 new sales
• Achieved 5x ROAS

A debt-settlement company’s digital growth opportunities became maxed out so they decided to test direct mail to find more scale. Here is the outcome:

• 22,000 new customers generated in one year
• Campaign ROI of 39x
• $1 billion in new debt obtained per year via direct mail

This identity theft protection brand feared they were missing out on the potential sales direct mail can bring, so they decided to test the channel. Here is the outcome:

• Direct mail sourced over 2 million new members
• More than $500 million in direct mail driven revenue
• 40% of annual sales are generated by direct mail

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Did these direct mail statistics turn you into a believer? Are you ready to transform your direct response strategy?

In an era dominated by digital distractions, incorporating direct mail into your marketing strategy can play a major role in your brand’s growth and success. If you’re ready to see what a direct mail campaign can do for your bottom line, contact a FM Direct marketing strategist to get started.

Keep Reading for more reasons why marketers use direct mail:

• Our free, Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, is available to download to learn more about how brands are utilizing the power of mail, overall channel performance, and more industry insights.
• Learn more about how DTC brands are using direct mail to drive e-commerce growth and strengthen customer relationships – with case studies and strategies.