Great companions work well together, and in marketing two great pals are mail and email.

These two marketing channels have developed independently of each other, and it’s about time that they were celebrated for their value and similar strengths.

You probably communicate with your customers or donors by email. We send more emails now than we ever have, some in batches, some triggered by events, and only 30% of them get opened. The other 70% get stopped by spam filters, or by a less-than-awesome subject line, or just get lost in the sheer volume of emails received. That’s just the reality of the email channel. You have a goal to communicate something and 70% don’t get it.

But, there’s a companion to email out there called direct mail that can help boost the results. Same goals, same text, same images, same ability to send triggered fast messages and similarly measurable.

Try layering your conversation with these two companionable channels. The chances of the conversation continuing with your customer increase dramatically. When you send an email, follow it up with a personalized letter or postcard. Your message will get into their hands, their home or business and reinforce the message in the email you sent a few days earlier. Your email will be supported by its companion piece – Direct Mail.

Start experimenting with layering your marketing channels and using an omnichannel approach. These companions work well together, and in the end, you will achieve better results.