Direct Marketing Benchmarks

Every year the DMA publishes its DMA Statistical Fact Book. For marketers without historical data, it’s a great resource for benchmarking programs in nearly a dozen categories, including: Internet, mobile marketing, social media, email and direct mail. Here are some selected stats that we found interesting in the 2012 edition:

1. The response rate for direct mail to an existing customer averages 3.4%, compared to 0.12% for email.
2. The mean cost per order or lead for a letter-sized direct mail piece is $19.35 when mailing a house file and $51.30 when sent to a prospect file. Mail is still more cost effective than email at the cost per order or lead than email – which came in at $55.24; reflecting the better conversion rate of direct mail.
3. 54.5% of US Households read, looked at or set aside for later reading their letter-sized enveloped direct mail pieces. For larger than letter-sized envelope mail, 67.2% did the same.
4. The average response rate for credit card mailings in 2012 was 0.6%. Up from 0.3% in 2005.

You can purchase a copy from the Direct Marketing Association at the DMA website.