Direct Mail
Personal, addressed mail to your own customers or to carefully chosen prospects. We handle the data, print, personalisation and postage so it lands on the right mat.
Plan a mailing
Plan a mailing
When direct mail is the right choice
A door drop reaches every home in an area. Direct mail reaches a named person. That difference matters when you already know who you want to talk to: lapsed customers, members due to renew, people who bought once and have not been back, or donors you want to thank.
Because it carries a name, direct mail can carry more. A personal offer, the store nearest to them, what they bought last time, a reason that only applies to them. That is why it is usually the most read and the most kept of the three mail types, and why it costs more per item than a door drop.
We often see the strongest results when direct mail goes to people who already know you and a door drop goes to the streets around them who do not, but plenty of clients run direct mail on its own.
What the research says about direct mail
- 141 seconds of attentionThe average time people spend with a direct mail item over 28 days, according to JICMAIL’s Q1 2026 results. Email and display ads are measured in seconds, not minutes.
- 7.8 days in the homeDirect mail stays around for more than a week on average, and is picked up about 4.5 times over that period.
- 6.3% response from warm customersJICMAIL’s Response Rate Tracker puts the average response from existing customers at 6.3%, against around 1% for cold prospects (2023 to 2025 average).
- 9.4% visit a websiteMail now drives record online behaviour: in Q1 2026, 9.4% of mail prompted a website visit and 56% of purchases it triggered were made online.
Source: JICMAIL Quarterly Results Q1 2026 and JICMAIL Response Rate Tracker.
What we handle for you
- DataWe work with your customer file, or source a prospect list that fits your best customers’ profile. Files are cleaned against gone away, deceased and Mailing Preference Service suppression lists before anything is printed.
- Creative checkWe look at your letter, postcard or pack for postal format, address panel position and a clear call to action, and suggest a test cell if there is something worth learning.
- Print and personaliseEach item is printed with the right name, address and any personal details, such as nearest store or a unique offer code.
- PostageMail is sorted and handed to Royal Mail under its advertising mail rates, which cost less than standard stamps.
- ResultsUnique codes and match back against your sales data show who responded and what they spent. See how we measure results.
Direct mail, partially addressed mail or a door drop?
| Door drop | Partially addressed | Direct mail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who gets it | Every home in the areas you choose | Chosen addresses, no name | A named person |
| Data needed | None, just areas | Address level data we provide | Your customer list or a bought list |
| Cost per item | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Attention per item | 57 seconds | 94 seconds | 141 seconds |
| Best for | Finding new customers locally | Reaching likely buyers without a list | Customers and warm prospects |
Attention figures: JICMAIL Q1 2026. Not sure which fits? Tell us what you want to achieve and we will recommend one, or a mix. Read more about partially addressed mail and door drops.
Direct mail FAQs
What is direct mail marketing?
Direct mail is printed marketing sent through the post to a named person at their address, such as a letter, postcard, catalogue or pack. It is usually sent to existing customers or to prospects chosen from a list.
Is direct mail still effective?
Yes. JICMAIL’s Q1 2026 figures show direct mail gets an average of 141 seconds of attention and stays in the home for 7.8 days, and existing customers respond at around 6.3% on average.
Can I send direct mail if I do not have a mailing list?
Yes. We can source a prospect list that matches your best customers, or suggest partially addressed mail, which reaches chosen addresses without needing names.
How do you keep mailing data compliant?
We only mail data you are entitled to use, process it securely, and screen it against suppression files such as the Mailing Preference Service, gone aways and deceased records before printing.
What is the cheapest way to post a mailing?
For marketing mail, Royal Mail’s advertising mail rates are much cheaper than first or second class stamps. Format and weight affect the price too, so a postcard or letter usually costs less to post than a larger pack.
How do I measure a direct mail campaign?
Give each mailing a unique code or web address, keep a small group of customers unmailed, and compare what both groups buy. That shows the sales the mailing actually added.
Plan your mailing
Tell us who you want to reach and what you want them to do. We will come back with the data, format and postage that fit your budget.
Get in touch
Looking for more information? Simply get in touch with one of our friendly office staff who are always on hand to help.
Cost Effective
Fast Lead Times
Expert Knowledge
Certified Carbon Neutral