Why Direct Mail Works for a Dental Office

Direct Mail for Marketing a Dental Office

With all the choices available for marketing your practice, direct mail can seem like an option that is old fashioned and is no longer effective. But direct mail continues to be one of the best return on investments for our clients.

According to the Direct Marketing Association the response rates for direct mail are 21 times higher than newspaper ads, 19 times higher than radio, and 47 times higher than TV.

If those numbers aren’t enough for you here are 6 reasons a dental office should use direct mail:

1. Direct Mail Is Targeted.Your Dental office generally pulls patients from the area around your clinic so marketing to those that are in that area will generate the best results. Even with “Unaddressed” forms of direct mail you can target your immediate surrounding area. Try to do that with newspapers or radio and you will need to be on every station and in every section of the newspaper.
2. Direct Mail has less competition.Think about the number of ads you hear on the radio, came to your inbox, or the plethora of ads strewn across the pages of your local paper or on your favourite TV show, then think about how much direct mail advertising you saw today. With so much digital marketing available many companies have moved away from direct mail leaving less marketers vying for attention in your prospects mailboxes.
3. Direct Mail Lasts longer.With radio, TV, newspapers, internet, social media your ads are gone by the end of the day and sometimes within minutes. Direct mail is usually kept by consumers if it is a service they are looking for. They use it to remember your website address and phone number because it is easier than having to write it down.
4. People read direct mail.90% of households check their mailbox every day. Even if they want to, they can’t ignore your message because they must read it to know if they want to toss it or keep it. Unlike digital ads that can easily be ignored or radio ads that can be tuned out by switching to another station that is still playing music.
5. Direct Mail is Tangible.Direct mail can come in almost any shape and size. People get something real in their hands that creates a type of connection not available in broadcast or digital media. One of the main reasons people choose one dental office over another is because something made them feel a connection to that office. Why not increase the odds with Direct Mail?
6. Direct Mail is cost effective.
   With both EDDM in the US and Neighbourhood Mail in Canada, postage rates are very affordable and eliminate the need to purchase lists and print variable data on your mail pieces further dropping costs.