GITNUXREPORT 2025

Direct Mail Effectiveness Statistics

Direct mail achieves higher response, retention, and ROI than digital marketing channels.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking • Reputable sources • Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

Direct mail has a response rate of 9%, compared to email's response rate of 1.5%

Statistic 2

84% of direct mail campaigns are successful or somewhat successful

Statistic 3

The average ROI of direct mail marketing is 4,400%, meaning for every dollar spent, $44 is earned

Statistic 4

Companies that incorporate variable data in direct mail see a response rate increase of 20%

Statistic 5

The response rate for house lists is 9%, versus 2% for prospect lists

Statistic 6

54% of marketers plan to increase their direct mail budgets in the next year

Statistic 7

12% of marketers list direct mail as their main marketing channel

Statistic 8

66% of recipients have made a purchase after receiving a direct mail piece

Statistic 9

The average cost per lead from direct mail is $55, compared to $122 for digital channels

Statistic 10

Personalized direct mail generates response rates 135% higher than non-personalized campaigns

Statistic 11

Direct mail has a 4.4% response rate for B2B campaigns, higher than digital channels

Statistic 12

The average conversion rate for direct mail is 5%, versus 1.3% for digital ads

Statistic 13

80% of direct mail campaigns include a QR code to increase engagement

Statistic 14

Including a promotional offer in direct mail increases response rates by 37%

Statistic 15

Campaigns with personalized content see a response rate increase of 60% over generic campaigns

Statistic 16

The use of colorful, eye-catching design increases direct mail response rates by 26%

Statistic 17

72% of B2B marketers use direct mail for account-based marketing initiatives

Statistic 18

Campaigns with a clear call-to-action in direct mail see a response rate of 15%, versus 4% for those without

Statistic 19

69% of small businesses believe that direct mail has helped increase sales

Statistic 20

56% of consumers find catalogs useful when making purchase decisions

Statistic 21

82% of consumers who receive direct mail take some action within 24 hours

Statistic 22

A majority of 70% of consumers retain their received mail for future reference or sharing

Statistic 23

73% of consumers prefer direct mail for brand communication over digital channels

Statistic 24

40% of consumers say they use direct mail for product discovery

Statistic 25

89% of direct mail is opened and read within three days of receipt

Statistic 26

87% of consumers say they are likely to act on direct mail immediately if it contains a special offer

Statistic 27

31% of consumers say they are more likely to make a purchase after receiving direct mail

Statistic 28

80% of all direct mail is opened, compared to 20% of emails

Statistic 29

Response rates for direct mail are highest among consumers aged 45-54, at 13%

Statistic 30

78% of people prefer to receive information via mail rather than digital channels

Statistic 31

55% of respondents said they have made a purchase as a direct result of receiving a direct mail item

Statistic 32

69% of consumers respond better to direct mail that includes a call-to-action

Statistic 33

50% of recipients are more likely to visit a store after receiving a direct mail piece

Statistic 34

77% of consumers read direct mail within the first week of receipt

Statistic 35

The average response rate for direct mail among millennials is 8%, higher than traditional digital channels

Statistic 36

65% of consumers say they prefer direct mail promotional offers over digital ones

Statistic 37

89% of consumers say they are likely to read a promotion if it arrives via direct mail

Statistic 38

80% of consumers say they prefer to receive printed catalogs over digital ones

Statistic 39

40% of marketers say that integrating direct mail with digital campaigns improves overall campaign performance

Statistic 40

67% of small businesses plan to increase their use of direct mail in the next year

Statistic 41

92% of marketers agree that integrating print and digital marketing improves overall campaign effectiveness

Statistic 42

45% of Americans say they enjoy receiving postal mail and like reading it

Statistic 43

52% of marketing professionals believe direct mail delivers the best ROI of all marketing channels

Statistic 44

61% of consumers feel more connected to brands that send personalized direct mail

Statistic 45

72% of customers find direct mail easier to understand than digital communication

Statistic 46

44% of recipients say they appreciate getting printed discount coupons in the mail

Statistic 47

60% of consumers claim they prefer receiving promotional mail from brands they already love

Statistic 48

33% of small businesses report that direct mail is essential for their marketing strategy

Statistic 49

43% of consumers report that receiving catalogs makes them more likely to shop with that brand

Statistic 50

65% of marketers believe direct mail is more effective than email marketing alone

Statistic 51

59% of consumers trust brands more that send personalized direct mail

Statistic 52

88% of marketers say direct mail complements their digital marketing efforts

Statistic 53

72% of consumers find direct mail more trustworthy than digital ads

Statistic 54

45% of marketers consider direct mail an essential component of multichannel marketing strategies

Statistic 55

85% of marketers say that targetted direct mail is more effective than untargeted mail

Statistic 56

91% of consumers find direct mail to be less intrusive than digital ads

Statistic 57

54% of consumers prefer brands to send them physical mail intermittently rather than constantly

Statistic 58

69% of consumers aged 35-44 prefer receiving promotional mail over digital communication

Statistic 59

55% of recipients say receiving personalized mail influences their loyalty to a brand

Statistic 60

48% of marketers report that direct mail helps build better brand recognition compared to digital channels

Statistic 61

53% of consumers find direct mail easier to remember than digital ads

Statistic 62

70% of direct mail recipients either open their mail immediately or within a few days

Statistic 63

People spend an average of 28 minutes a week reading direct mail

Statistic 64

The average lifespan of a mailed catalog is 3.7 weeks

Statistic 65

The average lifespan of a direct mail piece is 17 days, but it can last much longer in some cases

Slide 1 of 65

Sources

Our Reports have been cited by:

Trust Badges - Publications that have cited our reports

Key Highlights

Direct mail has a response rate of 9%, compared to email's response rate of 1.5%
70% of direct mail recipients either open their mail immediately or within a few days
56% of consumers find catalogs useful when making purchase decisions
45% of Americans say they enjoy receiving postal mail and like reading it
People spend an average of 28 minutes a week reading direct mail
82% of consumers who receive direct mail take some action within 24 hours
84% of direct mail campaigns are successful or somewhat successful
A majority of 70% of consumers retain their received mail for future reference or sharing
The average ROI of direct mail marketing is 4,400%, meaning for every dollar spent, $44 is earned
73% of consumers prefer direct mail for brand communication over digital channels
40% of consumers say they use direct mail for product discovery
52% of marketing professionals believe direct mail delivers the best ROI of all marketing channels
61% of consumers feel more connected to brands that send personalized direct mail

Did you know that direct mail boasts a staggering 9% response rate—six times higher than email—and offers a remarkable return on investment of $44 for every dollar spent, making it one of the most effective marketing channels today?

Business Utilization and Effectiveness

Direct mail has a response rate of 9%, compared to email's response rate of 1.5%
84% of direct mail campaigns are successful or somewhat successful
The average ROI of direct mail marketing is 4,400%, meaning for every dollar spent, $44 is earned
Companies that incorporate variable data in direct mail see a response rate increase of 20%
The response rate for house lists is 9%, versus 2% for prospect lists
54% of marketers plan to increase their direct mail budgets in the next year
12% of marketers list direct mail as their main marketing channel
66% of recipients have made a purchase after receiving a direct mail piece
The average cost per lead from direct mail is $55, compared to $122 for digital channels
Personalized direct mail generates response rates 135% higher than non-personalized campaigns
Direct mail has a 4.4% response rate for B2B campaigns, higher than digital channels
The average conversion rate for direct mail is 5%, versus 1.3% for digital ads
80% of direct mail campaigns include a QR code to increase engagement
Including a promotional offer in direct mail increases response rates by 37%
Campaigns with personalized content see a response rate increase of 60% over generic campaigns
The use of colorful, eye-catching design increases direct mail response rates by 26%
72% of B2B marketers use direct mail for account-based marketing initiatives
Campaigns with a clear call-to-action in direct mail see a response rate of 15%, versus 4% for those without
69% of small businesses believe that direct mail has helped increase sales

Business Utilization and Effectiveness Interpretation

With a response rate nearly six times that of email, a jaw-dropping ROI of 4,400%, and over two-thirds of recipients making a purchase after receiving a personalized, eye-catching direct mail piece, it's clear that in the crowded digital age, well-crafted physical outreach still packs a punch—proving that sometimes, the best way to get people's attention is to put something real in their hands.

Consumer Engagement and Preferences

56% of consumers find catalogs useful when making purchase decisions
82% of consumers who receive direct mail take some action within 24 hours
A majority of 70% of consumers retain their received mail for future reference or sharing
73% of consumers prefer direct mail for brand communication over digital channels
40% of consumers say they use direct mail for product discovery
89% of direct mail is opened and read within three days of receipt
87% of consumers say they are likely to act on direct mail immediately if it contains a special offer
31% of consumers say they are more likely to make a purchase after receiving direct mail
80% of all direct mail is opened, compared to 20% of emails
Response rates for direct mail are highest among consumers aged 45-54, at 13%
78% of people prefer to receive information via mail rather than digital channels
55% of respondents said they have made a purchase as a direct result of receiving a direct mail item
69% of consumers respond better to direct mail that includes a call-to-action
50% of recipients are more likely to visit a store after receiving a direct mail piece
77% of consumers read direct mail within the first week of receipt
The average response rate for direct mail among millennials is 8%, higher than traditional digital channels
65% of consumers say they prefer direct mail promotional offers over digital ones
89% of consumers say they are likely to read a promotion if it arrives via direct mail
80% of consumers say they prefer to receive printed catalogs over digital ones

Consumer Engagement and Preferences Interpretation

Despite the digital age's dominance, a compelling 80% of consumers still open and prefer printed direct mail, with nearly half making purchases based on these tangible touchpoints—proving that when it comes to capturing attention and inspiring action, snail mail still packs a punch where pixels sometimes fall flat.

Marketing Strategy and Integration

40% of marketers say that integrating direct mail with digital campaigns improves overall campaign performance
67% of small businesses plan to increase their use of direct mail in the next year
92% of marketers agree that integrating print and digital marketing improves overall campaign effectiveness

Marketing Strategy and Integration Interpretation

With 92% of marketers advocating for combined print and digital strategies—and a growing wave of small businesses planning to boost direct mail use—it's clear that in the digital age, a well-placed printed postcard is still the secret sauce for campaign success.

Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Direct Mail

45% of Americans say they enjoy receiving postal mail and like reading it
52% of marketing professionals believe direct mail delivers the best ROI of all marketing channels
61% of consumers feel more connected to brands that send personalized direct mail
72% of customers find direct mail easier to understand than digital communication
44% of recipients say they appreciate getting printed discount coupons in the mail
60% of consumers claim they prefer receiving promotional mail from brands they already love
33% of small businesses report that direct mail is essential for their marketing strategy
43% of consumers report that receiving catalogs makes them more likely to shop with that brand
65% of marketers believe direct mail is more effective than email marketing alone
59% of consumers trust brands more that send personalized direct mail
88% of marketers say direct mail complements their digital marketing efforts
72% of consumers find direct mail more trustworthy than digital ads
45% of marketers consider direct mail an essential component of multichannel marketing strategies
85% of marketers say that targetted direct mail is more effective than untargeted mail
91% of consumers find direct mail to be less intrusive than digital ads
54% of consumers prefer brands to send them physical mail intermittently rather than constantly
69% of consumers aged 35-44 prefer receiving promotional mail over digital communication
55% of recipients say receiving personalized mail influences their loyalty to a brand
48% of marketers report that direct mail helps build better brand recognition compared to digital channels
53% of consumers find direct mail easier to remember than digital ads

Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Direct Mail Interpretation

In an era of digital dominance, nearly nine out of ten consumers still trust and prefer personalized postal mail—proof that, when it comes to marketing, a well-placed stamp beats a click every time.

Time and Interaction with Print Media

70% of direct mail recipients either open their mail immediately or within a few days
People spend an average of 28 minutes a week reading direct mail
The average lifespan of a mailed catalog is 3.7 weeks
The average lifespan of a direct mail piece is 17 days, but it can last much longer in some cases

Time and Interaction with Print Media Interpretation

While direct mail enjoys prompt engagement and a surprisingly enduring presence—spanning from fleeting days to several weeks—its true power lies in turning fleeting impressions into lasting connections that can endure well beyond the initial delivery.