The Best Day to Send Direct Mails
As per the Data Marketing Association, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the best days to get your direct mail delivered. People are most active these days and tend to focus on their work. They often have a routine of sorting mail on these mid-week days.
You won’t face huge competition like Mondays, nor will your prospects enter the “weekend mode”. They are still working and aware of the stuff around them. Your direct mail will likely get attention these days. Tuesday is the best day out of these three days because you are not bombarding prospects with mailers on the first day of the week.
As per the Data Marketing Association, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are the worst times to send your direct mail. Most people are looking forward to enjoying their weekend and might ignore your mailers. Weekend mailers are usually thrown away without being opened. Sending mailers these days is like encroaching on someone’s private space. So let’s learn in detail the significance of each day. Keep reading.
Key Takeaways
- USPS does not officially work on weekends, but a lot of deliveries are completed on those days.
- People might ignore your mailers on Monday as they are stuck with “Monday Blues”.
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the ideal days to get your direct mail delivered.
- Don’t try to send your direct mailers on bank holidays.
- Proper scheduling of mailers is necessary to expect the best response rate.
- Marketers should consider sending discount offers, coupons, and loyalty rewards to engage customers post-purchase.
What Is the Best Day of the Week to Send Out Direct Mail?
Let us find out what the best time is to send direct mail pieces.
Monday
Monday is the first day of the working week, and most people have just started getting the “Monday blues.” The day is spent planning the week’s activities and is rightly known as the busiest day of the week. However, it should be duly noted that it is also the busiest mail day of the week. From bills to credit card applications, the majority of the mail is delivered on Monday. Hence, if your direct mail gets delivered on the same day, it is obvious that it is likely to be dismissed or considered junk. Apparently, it is a bad day for delivering direct mail, and it is better to pick another day for the same.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
The three best options for getting your direct mail delivered are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. By Tuesday, people have forgotten about their weekends and have started focusing on their work. Furthermore, sorting through the mail is a regular part of their routine on these mid-week days. Neither is there too much competition like that on Monday, nor have your prospects entered the “weekend mode.” They are working and aware of everything around them. In this scenario, your direct mailer is likely to get its share of attention.
Though all three days are considered the best days of the week for mailing, Tuesday stands at the top of the list. By delivering direct mail on Tuesdays, you make sure that you are not getting under someone’s skin by bombarding them with your mail on the very first day of the week. At the same time, you are also encouraging them to respond to your email in the same week, rather than letting them push this part to the following week. Mail received on any day after Tuesday might be kept aside to be seen next week. This way, even your well-designed direct mail pieces can be easily ignored.
Friday and Saturday
Friday is the last working day of the week, and people see this day as an entry towards their weekend. Most of your prospects are looking forward to enjoying their weekend and might not pay attention to your direct mail at all. In fact, direct mail received on Fridays may be thrown away even without being opened. It seems less important and easy to toss aside.
The same goes for sending mail on Saturday. Many people are away from home on this day, which means that there will be no one to receive your mailers. Therefore, Friday and Saturday are very bad options for getting your direct mail delivered.
Sunday
If you want your response rates to be at least reasonable, if not great, avoid sending mail on Sundays. It is not only unprofessional but also disturbing. People are relaxed on Sunday and do not wish to deal with any mail on that day. Delivering mail on a Sunday is like encroaching on someone’s private space.
Your targeted audience is probably away for the weekend or getting some rest before starting off with another week. The last thing they want to do is sort through their mail. Moreover, it is expensive to get your direct mail delivered on Sunday.
Avoid Sending Mail on Bank Holidays
It is best not to send any mail on bank holidays. It is because receiving mail on a bank holiday is highly unexpected, and most homeowners might also not be ready to receive any mail on that day. You need to pre-plan your mail delivery dates while planning your marketing campaigns to avoid any such clashes.
While discussing mailing campaigns with your mail service providers, make sure to consider bank holidays. Your Tuesday deliveries might be pushed ahead to Wednesday or Thursday due to these holidays. Things might not go as per your marketing strategy, and it can affect your campaign performance adversely. Hence, plan mailing dates in advance and take such factors into consideration carefully.
Discuss Delivery Dates With Your Service Provider Beforehand
You and your service provider must agree on the delivery dates. Most marketers get their mail service providers to sign contracts with them to fix these dates, which is a really smart move. If these things are not discussed beforehand, you are gambling with your campaign performance. Your mail may arrive on a Saturday, leaving behind the best day for direct mail to land.
Most of the mail carriers deliver direct mail depending on the destination and their convenience. They are likely to ignore the best day for direct mail delivery and stick with their own drafted schedule. Hence, it is recommended to discuss delivery dates and postal rates with your mail carrier beforehand and keep everything pre-planned.
The Buyer’s Journey Can Affect Your Direct Mail Schedule
Having discussed the best day of the week for direct mail deliveries, let us dive a little deeper into this topic and see how a buyer’s journey can affect the company’s direct mail schedule. By studying these things, you can always mail at the perfect time and boost response rates noticeably.
Top of Funnel
The top of the funnel stage is when your company is creating brand awareness and reputation. It is when people have started becoming aware of their needs. You can reach out to them with an informational mailer to educate them about your brand. Once you know that someone’s needs match your products or services, you can start mailing them.
Middle of Funnel
This stage is the perfect time to deliver your direct mail items. At this stage, people have acknowledged their problems completely and have started looking for solutions. By sending your mail items during this phase, you are presenting yourself as a solution provider. Hence, you are likely to get the most responses by sending out direct mail in the middle of the marketing funnel.
Bottom of Funnel
It is the decision stage of the buyer’s journey. Thinking that your work is completed and stopping your direct mail marketing efforts at this stage might lead to a loss in business. You need to reach out to your prospects with an offer they can’t deny. The bottom of the funnel is the time for the final action. Therefore, you need to continue delivering direct mail items at this stage.
The After-Sales Stage
After converting your prospects into customers, it is still essential to address their needs and keep in touch with them. It calls for a good customer retention strategy. Sending direct appreciation mail to existing customers is an excellent way to get repeat business. Many marketers send coupons, discount offers, loyalty rewards, and other such things in the mail to their customers post-purchase.
Send Direct Mail Around the Holidays
Sending direct mail during the holidays increases your chances of getting high open rates. People look forward to receiving mail around the holiday season. Greeting cards and letters are mailed in full swing during the holiday, and it is the busiest mail time of the year. Additionally, people tend to check their mail with excitement and are more likely to respond.
Companies should anticipate busy seasons according to their particular industry and plan marketing campaigns around that time of the year. For example, gym owners can send out direct mailers with attractive discounts just before New Year’s Day. Many people plan on getting fit as one of their New Year’s resolutions, and this move on your part can prove to be profitable.
Keep Up on Special Occasions
You can use your targeted audience‘s personal information, such as their birthdays and anniversaries, to send direct mailers on those days. These days are perhaps the best time of the year to send them anything. It shows that you care, and the person is likely to remember your brand after receiving a email from you on their special day.
Other ways to get noticed include personalizing direct mail items, adding eye-catching graphics, using bright colours, and offering something undeniable. Along with considering the best day for direct mail arrival, you also need to pay attention to these things.
Schedule Your Direct Mail Campaigns With PostGrid
PostGrid’s automated direct mail solutions can help you plan and conduct direct mail campaigns on your desired dates without any trouble. With high-quality printing and speedy mailing capabilities, PostGrid can help you get your mail delivered on the best day for direct mail. Moreover, you can even verify addresses beforehand and avoid unnecessary delays.
Create, print, mail, and track your direct mail easily and efficiently through PostGrid’s print and mail network. Get Started Now
