Last updated October 6, 2026
Summary
- Cold addressed mail averages a 1.0% response rate and door drops 0.3% (JICMAIL, UK-measured)
- Cold direct mail returns 2.1 times its cost in revenue, and door drops return 4.0 times
- 95% of marketers plan to maintain or grow direct mail investment, up from 87% a year earlier
- Email's 2.3% click rate is not a race mail wins, so compare on return and how the channels work together
- One clear offer and an easy online next step drive follow-up: 81% of consumers followed up on mail in 2025
Last updated: October 2026
Direct mail marketing is still earning its budget in 2026. Used alone or paired with digital campaigns, it gives marketers a measurable channel with response and return benchmarks they can plan against. Here are 23 statistics worth knowing, each traced to the publisher's own report and dated, so you know exactly what you're quoting.
A quick note on sources: where a newer edition changed a number, we use the newer one, and older studies carry their year in the source line. Response and ROI benchmarks come from JICMAIL's UK data because it's measured from nearly 5,000 campaigns rather than surveyed, and we label it as UK-measured.
Do marketers still rate direct mail as a top performer?
Most do, though the margin moved between editions of the same research.
1. 79% of executives rank direct mail as their top-performing marketing channel, down from 84% in 2024.
(Source: Lob and Comperemedia, State of Direct Mail 2025, 405 business professionals at North American companies with 500+ employees)
The 2025 edition dipped five points on the year before and still shows a clear majority. Treat it as sentiment about a mix of channels, not a measured result, and pair it with your own tracking.
2. 85% of marketers agree that direct mail delivers the best conversion rate, and 84% agree it delivers the best response rate of all channels they use.
(Source: Lob and Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail Marketing 2024)
These are marketer opinions from the 2024 edition, asked about the channels each respondent actually runs. The takeaway: people who run direct mail alongside other channels tend to rate it highly, so test it against your own mix.
3. Among automation software users, 88% agree that direct mail delivers the highest conversion rate, compared to 82% of non-users.
(Source: Lob and Comperemedia, The State of Direct Mail Marketing 2024)
Automation helps, and the gap is six points. Direct mail earns strong marks from both groups, so you don't need a complex stack to get started.
What response rate and ROI can you expect from direct mail?
Plan around about 1% for cold addressed mail and 0.3% for door drops, then judge the campaign on return.
4. Cold addressed mail averages a 1.0% response rate, and door drops average 0.3%.
(Source: JICMAIL Response Rate Tracker, Full Year 2025 update, June 2026, UK-measured)
JICMAIL measured 4,939 UK campaigns through matchback, unique tracking codes, and test and control groups, averaged across 2023 to 2025, instead of asking marketers to estimate. We call it UK-measured because it isn't US data, and we use it because it's measured, not surveyed. In mail order and catalog, cold mail reaches up to 1.3%.
For more on benchmarks, see our guide to direct mail response rate benchmarks.
5. Cold direct mail returns 2.1 times its campaign cost in revenue, and door drops return 4.0 times.
(Source: JICMAIL Response Rate Tracker, Full Year 2025 update, June 2026, UK-measured)
That's revenue, not profit, so your margins still decide what's worth running. Scale helps: cold campaigns above 100,000 pieces average 2.7 times their cost in revenue.
6. Email's unique click rate averaged 2.3% in 2024.
(Source: DMA Email Benchmarking Report 2025)
Email's 2.3% click rate sits above mail's 1.0% response rate, so this isn't a case of mail winning a straight race, and a click and a response count different things anyway. Compare the channels on return and on how they work together, and read our breakdown of direct mail vs email before you choose.
Are marketers spending more on direct mail in 2026?
Most say they'll keep spending or spend more.
7. 95% of marketers plan to maintain or grow their direct mail investment over the next 12 months, up from 87% a year earlier.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, 2026 Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, Circlebox survey of 500 US marketers, January 2026)
That's an eight-point jump on the year before, in a survey where direct mail was one of the only channels with a clear commitment.
8. More than half of marketers saw direct mail performance improve over the past 12 months, and another 42% said it held steady.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, 2026 Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, Circlebox survey of 500 US marketers, January 2026)
That leaves only a small share reporting declines. Marketers who saw gains pointed to sharper targeting and more relevant content.
9. The global direct mail advertising market reached $64.8 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow to $65.96 billion in 2026.
(Source: The Business Research Company, Direct Mail Advertising Global Market Report, September 2026 edition)
That's a global figure covering all direct mail advertising spend, and the forecast growth is a modest 1.8%. It reads as a steady channel, not a spike.
10. 37% of marketers say an improved ability to activate omnichannel campaigns will be a core driver of higher direct mail spend, the most-cited factor.
(Source: Winterberry Group, Delivering Performance: Direct Mail in the United States 2023, September 2023)
Running mail and digital together is the top reason marketers give for spending more. This study is from 2023, so read it as direction, not a current survey.
11. 45.4% say customer acquisition is the most important use case direct mail fulfills for their organization.
(Source: Winterberry Group, Delivering Performance: Direct Mail in the United States 2023, September 2023)
Acquisition leads, ahead of win-back at 18.0% and retargeting at 11.8%. Decide which job your mail has to do before you design it.
How do marketers pair direct mail with digital?
Mostly by treating the two as one campaign.
12. 95% of marketers say integrating direct mail and digital channels has a positive impact on campaign performance.
(Source: Franklin Madison Direct, 2026 Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report, Circlebox survey of 500 US marketers, January 2026)
Integration works best when the digital side mirrors the mail. In the same survey, 98% of marketers said a landing page consistent with the mail design improves campaign results.
13. 73% of marketers coordinate direct mail with email.
(Source: USPS Direct Mail Report, Forrester Consulting, April 2020, 324 US marketers)
This is a 2020 survey, so read it as a baseline for how long marketers have paired the two. Mail can carry the first touch while email follows up.
14. 77% of marketers say direct mail drives website visits.
(Source: USPS Direct Mail Report, Forrester Consulting, April 2020, 324 US marketers)
Make the next step obvious. A short, personalized URL and a clear call to action, like "Reserve your spot now," give recipients somewhere to go.
15. Newsletters are among the most common direct mail formats: 66% of marketers send them, tied with postcards.
(Source: USPS Direct Mail Report, Forrester Consulting, April 2020, 324 US marketers)
Newsletters build a steady rhythm of touchpoints. Product updates, how-to guides, and seasonal promotions all fit the format.
What do consumers do when direct mail arrives?
Many open it, remember it, and follow up online.
16. 78% of consumers say they're likely to open and read mail from a brand they're interested in if it includes a single offer or promotion.
(Source: Lob and Comperemedia, 2023 The State of Direct Mail Consumer Insights, 2,000 US consumers)
Multiple offers scored 77%, so one clear offer is enough. Our tips to optimize a direct mail campaign cover how to build it.
17. 81% of consumers say they've followed up after receiving direct mail, up from 60% a year earlier.
(Source: Lob and Comperemedia, 2025 State of Direct Mail Consumer Insights, 2,000 US consumers, April to May 2025)
In Lob's earlier surveys, actions like searching for the brand online or visiting its website counted as follow-up. Make those steps easy to find.
18. 54% of millennials and 61% of millennial parents find ads in the mail more personal than digital ads.
(Source: Vericast Direct Mail Influence Study, November 2023, 1,815 US adults who engage with both direct mail and digital advertising)
Younger audiences notice personal touches. Use names, local offers, and relevant imagery to earn that response.
19. 75% of consumers agree that direct mail makes them aware of a product.
(Source: Vericast Direct Mail Influence Study, November 2023, 1,815 US adults who engage with both direct mail and digital advertising)
That makes mail a natural fit for launches and new offerings.
20. 60% say direct mail is easy to remember when ready to make a purchase, compared with 44% for digital ads.
(Source: Vericast Direct Mail Influence Study, November 2023, 1,815 US adults who engage with both direct mail and digital advertising)
Memorable creative and a clear message give you the best shot at being the brand they remember when they're ready to buy.
How do different industries use direct mail?
Two industries from the USPS Direct Mail Report show the range.
21. Automotive marketers allocate 29% of their overall media budget to direct mail.
(Source: USPS Direct Mail Report by industry, Forrester Consulting, April 2020)
It's a 2020 figure, but it shows how heavily one sector leans on mail.
22. 60% of automotive marketers use digitally enhanced mail, and another 23% plan to.
(Source: USPS Direct Mail Report by industry, Forrester Consulting, April 2020)
Digital features like personalized URLs and augmented reality turn a mailer into the start of an online journey.
23. 65% of financial services marketers used direct mail to drive interest in their services.
(Source: USPS Direct Mail Report by industry, Forrester Consulting, April 2020)
Targeted, personalized mailers with tailored guides or rate updates give financial brands a way to build trust before the first conversation.
So, is direct mail worth it in 2026?
Yes, with realistic expectations: UK-measured benchmarks of about 1.0% response on cold addressed mail and 0.3% on door drops, revenue returns of 2.1 times and 4.0 times, and a large majority of marketers planning to hold or grow their budgets. Start with one clear offer, an easy next step online, and tracking so you can see what each campaign returned.
Curious what it costs? Our guide to direct mail cost in the US breaks it down.
Ready to run your own campaign? Oppizi helps you plan, launch, and track direct mail. Get started with Oppizi
