64 Direct Mail Statistics Marketers Should Know in 2025

In this increasingly digital world, you might easily overlook a channel that offers the strongest marketing ROI – direct mail marketing. 

The best part is that direct mail marketing is so underused and unsaturated that you can use it as a new business edge, lead generator, and so much more. It will cut right through the digital noise and deliver your message to your ideal customer.

Don’t believe us? Let’s look at the latest direct mail statistics.

84% agree that direct mail provides the highest ROI of any channel they use.

As the leading direct mail automation software, we at Postalytics spend a lot of time studying cutting-edge research and uncovering the next big thing in direct mail marketing. And we’re super happy to share our discoveries.

Key Direct Mail Statistics – Editor’s Picks

• The average ROI of direct campaigns is 35 percent (3)
  
  
• 84% agree that direct mail provides the highest ROI of any channel they use (1)
  
  
• 85% of marketers agree that direct mail delivers the best conversion rate. (1)
  
  
• 84% of consumers read direct mail immediately or the same day they receive it. (7)
  
  
• An average household in the US received 361 pieces of marketing direct mail and 94 pieces of non-profit direct mail. (2)
  
  
• 71% of consumers feel that direct mail is more personal than online digital communication. In fact, adding a name to your recipient increases the response rate up to 135%. (20)
  
  
• Direct mail accelerates the purchase process. On average, any purchase decision takes longer than a week and over a third takes more than a month. However, with direct mail, 73% of purchase decisions take only 1+ day. (21)
  
  
• Half (52%) of customers expect direct mail to be personalized. (7)

Direct Mail Open and Response Rates

• These are the direct mail open rates by (selected) industry (30):

Industry	Open Rate	Response Rate
Nonprofits and Charities	34.12%	2.86%
Local Small Businesses	35.27%	2.96%
Retail	36.73%	3.09%
Service Providers	37.57%	3.16%
Real Estate	39.48%	3.32%
Healthcare Providers	40.24%	3.38%
Insurance	41.71%	3.51%
Education	43.30%	3.64%
Home Services	44.58%	3.75%
Automotive	45.56%	3.84%
Financial Services	46.92%	3.95%
Healthcare and Pharma	48.55%	4.09%
Travel and Hospitality	49.92%	4.21%
Technology	51.06%	4.30%
Luxury Goods/Services	52.85%	4.46%

What are direct mail open rates? In direct mail marketing, “open rate” refers to the estimated percentage of recipients who physically open or engage with a mailed piece, like an envelope, postcard, or self-mailer. Direct mail open rates tend to be much higher than open rates in email marketing, as direct mail recipients typically engage with the outer envelope of a letter or view the headlines and offers included in postcards and self-mailers.

What are direct mail response rates? A direct mail response rate is the percentage of recipients who respond to a direct mail piece out of the total number of pieces sent.

Formula:

Response Rate = (Number of Responses/Total Mail Pieces Sent) × 100

For a deeper dive into strategies to drive direct mail response rates higher, check out the “Direct Mail Response Rates: How to Analyze and Improve Performance Like a Pro”  article.

• What about different marketing media response rates? Direct mail outperforms digital channels in terms of response rates, with some 69% seeing an impressive >3% rate (33)

Direct Mail Marketing Impact

• Direct mail has a higher open rate of 80-90%, whereas email has 20-30% (26)
  
  
• Other studies put this figure anywhere from 30-50% (33)
  
  
• 84% agree that direct mail provides the highest ROI of any channel they use (1)

• 85% of marketers agree that direct mail delivers the best conversion rate, and 84% agree it delivers the best response rate of all channels they use (1)
  
  
• 97% report that integration (running omnichannel strategies) positively impacts campaign performance (29)
  
  
• 67% of marketers surveyed indicated DM performance improved in the past 12 months, the highest of any channel surveyed (29)
  
  
• The average ROI of direct campaigns is 35 percent (3)
  
  
• Direct mail receives the highest ROI of 112% across all mediums, followed by SMS (102%), email (93%), paid search (88%), social media advertising (81%), and digital display advertising (79%). (3)

• 81% say they’re more likely to re-engage with a brand after receiving a direct mail piece (7)
  
  
• 95% of marketers test their creative each quarter, and 55% test their data quarterly (29)

Direct Mail Use Cases

• The primary uses of Direct Mail are (3):
  
  
  • To make a direct sale (35%)
  • To engage prospects (18%)
  • To generate leads (15%)
  • To engage customers (13%)
  • To drive traffic to retail locations (7%)
  • To communicate with customers (5%)
  • To increase brand awareness (2%)
  • Other purposes (5%)

General Direct Mail Statistics

The US Postal Service started in the 18th century, and the first marketing mail was sent almost a century later. Since then, direct mail has been a constant part of marketers’ promotional mix. These direct mail statistics prove that direct mail still has immense value for consumers.

• 81% say they’re more likely to re-engage with a brand after receiving a direct mail piece (7)
                 
• Direct mail is the second most favorable channel according to consumers (30)
  
  
• In 2021, an average household in the US received 361 pieces of marketing direct mail and 94 pieces of non-profit direct mail. (2)

• Research by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) says that oversized envelopes have the highest direct mail response rate, followed by 5.7% in postcards and letter-sized envelopes at 4.3%. (3)
  
  
• According to the latest projections, direct mail annual ad revenue in the United States alone will reach almost $13.2 billion, accounting for almost one-fifth of the global direct mail ad revenue estimated at nearly $77 billion. (4)
  
  
• The most common direct mail formats used by marketers in the US are (1):
  
  
  • Letters – 58%
  • Postcards – 56%
  • Brochures – 53%
  • Catalog – 52%
  • Self-Mailers – 50%

• Over 91% of promo mail is read and opened. (6)

• 25% of American consumers prefer direct mails and catalogs over other advertising channels and formats. (28)

• Half (52%) of customers expect direct mail to be personalized (7)
  
  
• 51% of consumers sometimes or often share direct mail with friends and family. The major reason for this is shared discount coupons and promotions. (7)

Direct Mail Effectiveness

In this digital age, people are constantly targeted with ads, emails, messages, and other digital campaigns. Customers now crave physical touch and respond to what feels personal, like direct mail. For businesses looking to connect with customers, create brand awareness, or generate good ROIs, direct mail is what you should opt for. 

• Direct mail is kept in the recipient’s home for:
  
  
  • 17 days for advertising mail
  • 45 days for bills and statements
  • 38 days for door and drops (11)
    
    
• These actions were driven by customers receiving direct mail:
  
  
  • Website visits – 77%
  • Purchases – 64%
  • Program signups – 56%
  • Store visits – 53%
  • App download – 53% (10)

• A study shows that using email and catalog together shows a 49% sales lift and a 125% lift in inquiries. In comparison, “email only” recipients only saw a 28% increase in sales and a 77% lift in searches. (12)
  
  
• Mail-drive customers spend 28% more than those who did not receive a mail piece. (13)
  
  
• Top format most likely to read (industry edition):
   
  • Retail – Catalogs/magazine (53%)
  • Healthcare – Letters and envelopes (45%)
  • Financial services – Letters and envelopes (46%)
  • Local businesses – brochures (46%) (7)
    
    
• Paperless statements are mostly popular among young consumers; however, the majority of consumers (70%) still opt for at least some paper statements. (7)
  
  
• Likelihood of opening or reading a direct mail from a brand if it has:
    
  • Single offer or promotion – 72%
  • Multiple offers or promotions – 73%
  • First and last name – 51%
  • A local event or location –60%
  • Name of an item you recently purchased/ viewed online – 58%
  • Image of an item you recently purchased/viewed online – 59%
  • Personalized URL – 42%
  • QR code – 37% (7)

• By adding a name to your direct mail, you can increase response rates by 135%. (27)
  
  
• 39% of customers say that they try a business for the first time because of direct mail advertising. (15)
  
  
• US advertisers spent $167 per person to earn $2095 of goods sold. That’s 1300% of ROI. (16)
  
  
• 92% of millennials have made a purchasing decision influenced by direct mail. In fact, an impressive 62% of consumers who responded to direct mail ultimately made a purchase. (16,30)
  
  
• Mail boosts loyal readership:
   
  • Consumers spend an average of 30 minutes reading their emails on any given occasion
  • They spend 45 minutes with magazines, 30 minutes with catalogs, and 25 minutes with direct mail. (17)
  • Around 42.2% of direct mail recipients either read or scan the mail they receive. (27)

• 63% are more likely to engage with direct mail if it is personalized (7)
  
  
• A survey by InfoTrends says 84% of consumers feel that personalization makes them more likely to open direct mail.

  

• Coordinating digital and direct mail increased response rate by 63%, website visits by 68% and leads by 53%. (19)

• 71% of consumers feel that direct mail is more personal than online digital communication. (20)
  
  
• 62% of consumers say that direct email has inspired them to take action. And 64% say it was because of an offer or promotion. (7)

• Integrating direct mail into our marketing mix increases sales by 27%, acquisition by 40%, and market share by 104% (11)

• 23.4% of consumers will respond to a postcard if the offer is valid, which is 7.9% higher than letter-sized envelopes. (3)
  
  
• Direct mail accelerates the purchase process. On average, any purchase decision takes longer than a week and over a third takes more than a month. However, with direct mail, 73% of purchase decisions take only 1+ day. (21)

• Direct mail has also helped me make a choice. 83% of purchasing decisions of customers were influenced by direct mail. (21)

A study shows that online campaigns that include both digital ads and print media are 400% more effective. (22)

Email vs. Direct Mail Statistics

Email is often considered a substitute for direct mail, but those views would be wrong. Direct mail and email are unique marketing channels, and prospects engage with them differently. Customers also think that direct mail is easier to remember, cheaper, and a better way to communicate than email. 

• Direct mail is easier to understand and recall in comparison to digital media. It takes 21% less cognitive effort to process information and brand recall through direct mail. (23)

• 57% of customers abandon email addresses due to receiving too many emails. (24)
  
  
• Research shows that 58% of millennials worry less about direct mail privacy than digital media privacy. (25)
  
  
• 50% of consumers aged 35-55 years say that receiving emails from brands feels more important than getting emails. (7)
  
  
• Email is now the new junk mail – 50% of respondents believe that they receive too many emails. (7)
  
  
• Direct mail has a higher open rate of 80-90%, whereas email has 20-30%. (26)

Check out our email vs direct mail article for more information on how the two channels compare.

Tracking and Data

• What data is being used? According to Lob, the most common data attributes being used are customer name (53%), website browsing behavior (53%), address data (50%0 and prior purchase information (50%).
  

• Of those who track direct mail response rates, 82 percent are using online tracking that leverages QR codes, specific URLs, or another online tracking mechanism (3)
  
  
• The most popular direct mail response tracking methods (3):
   
  • Online tracking – 82%
  • Code or coupon – 64%
  • Sales linked to direct mail – 54%
  • Matchback – 46%

• The most important reason why marketers still prefer direct mail is that they can easily measure campaign success. The multi-touch attribution model (58%) is the most used performance measurement tool, and QR codes (38%) are the least. (6) 

• The most common ways to measure conversion rates are (1):
   
  • Personalized URL 
  • Customer activity 
  • QR codes
  • Coupon codes

• Marketers use this data in direct mail in different ways. The most common ways are to personalize mail pieces (68%), optimize future campaigns (64%), trigger mail based on behaviors (56%) and track conversions (35%). (1)

Tracking direct mail has been greatly improved with recent advances. To learn more, dive into our article on how to get detailed tracking for your direct mail campaigns.

Budget Statistics

• One-third of marketers allocate 25% of their marketing budget to direct mail. (9)

• 59% of marketers expect an increase in the use of direct mail in the next five years. (9)
  
  
• In 2024, 85% of businesses increased their overall marketing budgets, and 82% of respondents are increasing direct mail spend in 2024 — a considerable increase from 58% in 2023 (1)

Future Trends

• 40% of marketers are already using generative AI in their direct mail campaigns. Of the remaining 60%, 22% have no plans to adopt it ands 67% are in the planning phase (3)
  
  
• 68% of respondents use data to personalize campaigns. 64% of respondents use data to identify optimization opportunities (1)
  
  
• 56% of businesses are using a direct mail automation software/technology platform to execute direct mail campaigns. This is an increase from 40% in 2023 (1)
  
  
• 87% of marketers plan to increase or maintain DM budgets for the next 12 months (29)

Interested in optimizing your direct mail budgeting process? Learn more about how savvy marketers are taking advantage of new technologies to ease their budgeting process. 

Wrapping Up

These direct mail statistics tell a story of a newly found opportunity in an overlooked marketing channel. 

If you add automation to the mix, you can quickly create an unstoppable marketing omnichannel. 

This is an ideal time for marketers to check out direct mail and start making real-life connections that make people take action.

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Reference Resources

1. The State of Direct Mail Marketing (Lob)
2. Number of direct mail pieces received by the average household in the United States in 2020 and 2023, by type (Statista)
3. ANA Response Rate Report, 2023 (ANA Driving Growth)
4. Direct mail advertising in the United States (Statista)
5. Most common direct mail formats used by marketers in the United States as of April 2020 (Statista)
6. 2022 Direct Mail Industry Benchmark Study (SeQuel Response)
7. The State of Direct Mail Consumer Insights (Lob)
8. Direct Mail ROI Surpasses Digital Mediums (LinkedIn)
9. Direct Mail Insights from Marketing Leaders (Media Logic)
10. How Marketers Like You Use Direct Mail (USPS Delivers)
11. Royal Mail-Market Reach Effectiveness of Mail (Royal Mail)
12. Why Catalogs Are Making a Comeback (Harvard Business Review)
13. A Marketer’s How-To (and Why-To) Guide to Using Direct Mail (USPS Delivers)
14. Direct Mail Response Rates Rose Significantly In 2018! (Spectrum)
15. 10 Print marketing statistics you should know (DMR)
16. The Customer Experience Just Got More Personal (Baseman)
17. Mail connects in ways other media can’t match (MailMo)
18. Direct Mail: Integral to the Marketing Mix (Infotrends)
19. The Future of Direct Mail Is Here, and It’s Dynamic (USPS Delivers)
20. 4000 Consumers/4 Generations (USPS Delivers)
21. Activating Decisions at Home with Respect and Relevance (Hubspot)
22. Top Print Advertising Statistics and Effectiveness (Top Media Advertising)
23. Canada Post Neuroscience Research Into the Power of Direct Mail (True Impact)
24. Head-to-Head: Direct Mail vs. Email [Infographic] (MarketingProfs)
25. Millennials and Mail: 5 Myths and the Truth Behind Them (USPS Delivers)
26. Direct Mail Statistics (Postgrid)
27. Direct Mail Statistics (Nerdwallet)
28. Direct mail is high on the list of consumer ad receptiveness (Marketing Charts)
29. Direct Mail Trend Report (Franklin Maddison)
30. Direct Mail Response Rates by Industry: 2024 Report (Focus Digital)
31. The Future of Direct Mail 2023 (SG360)