These Trends Will Shape Direct Mail Marketing in 2025

The 2025 USPS^® Promotions and Incentive Programs were recently announced, featuring a mix of returning popular postage discounts and a few new programs to help brands save on direct mail marketing in the coming year. A more strategic approach that leverages digital technology is at the heart of many of the 2025 programs and is a core component of the evolution of direct mail marketing. 

Targeted, cost-effective direct mail campaigns that connect and engage with audiences on a deeper level is what brands need in the coming year to stand out and outperform their competition. Here, we’ll look at a couple of emerging trends in direct mail marketing that will shape 2025, and how brands can take advantage of these trends to reach the right customers at the right time.

Advanced personalization

Personalized direct mail works — a recent study found that more than 75% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from brands that personalize offers. Traditional direct mail marketing has long leveraged personalization via FIRST NAME, LAST NAME data fields, but advanced personalization changes the game, particularly in terms of using more insightful customer data that speaks to things like previous purchase history, relationship length, or geographic location.

For example, imagine you’re opening a new franchise location and you want to execute a direct mail campaign to announce the grand opening in a way that provides value to potential customers. Creating a direct mail postcard that conveys how far a customer is from this new location and references any previous interaction they’ve had with your brand creates a meaningful connection, and it also increases the likelihood that they’ll visit your location or make a purchase. 

This example of advanced personalization depends on an up-to-date, accurate mailing list. Varispark’s data processing services can help remove duplicate contacts, flag incomplete contacts, and verify address accuracy to help ensure your mailer hits home.  

Digital technology integrations

A big component of creating more effective direct mail is combining the tactile and sensory appeal of print with the interactivity of digital communication channels. Creating a link between the print and digital space allows for additional messaging opportunities between you and your audience, and it also increases the value of your print piece by extending the experience into the digital realm. 

This is where incorporating elements like integrated social, Google ad campaigns, or custom URLs can enhance the interactive nature of your direct mail messaging, and these components can also help you better understand the effectiveness of your campaign via data like scans, website views, or video plays. 

But combining print and digital technology goes beyond QR codes and URLs. It’s about using print and digital communications in concert to create additional customer touchpoints in service of driving sales and growth. 

Imagine sending a marketing email that announces a new store opening that also teases a forthcoming direct mail postcard with a special offer. Or, imagine sending a direct mail postcard teasing a new product launch for customers who recently completed an online purchase. 

41% of people have made an online purchase as a result of receiving a piece of direct mail. Integrating print and digital in this way creates a multi-channel marketing approach that optimizes your communication strategy and spend.

Automated mailings triggered by customer actions

Automated workflows help brands with a variety of tasks, from tracking and reporting new lead sources to sending follow-up emails. This level of process efficiency is poised to take center stage in 2025 and beyond. 

By integrating a customer relationship management (CRM) software with their printer's digital press platform, brands can use any number of customer actions — customer lifecycle changes, relationship milestones, or purchases — to print personalized mailers in real time. 

This kind of automated printing and mailing provides a couple of unique advantages. First, it rapidly decreases the lead time that’s normally associated with creating print communications designed to nurture contacts, cross-sell, or upsell. Plus, it demonstrates a familiarity and connection with customers in a way that builds loyalty and turns one-time customers into lifelong brand advocates. 

Varispark’s approach to direct mail marketing centers on helping brands leverage print in more strategic, efficient ways that deliver results. We have the knowledge, experience, and resources to help you combine print and digital communications in ways that grow your business. Tell us more about your project and we’ll connect with you soon.