Print and Mail are Alive and Well

A sender of email risks having his Internet Protocol (IP) address being blacklisted by ISPs. While blacklisting is a useful tool to cut down on spam, the decision on whether a message should be blacklisted rests with the ISP, not with the message recipient. With traditional direct mail, the recipient decides whether to put himself on the “Do Not Mail” list.

In its 2009 Global Email Deliverability Benchmark Report, Return Path, an email deliverability company, found that 20% of email ads directed at consumers were undelivered. More than 20% of business emails were undelivered. Traditional mail list providers will guarantee a deliverability rate of 88% or higher.

So, next time someone tells you that direct mail is dead or dying, tell them that it is actually alive and well.

Nancy DeDiemar is the president of Printing Resources of Southern California and a contributing columnist for Quick Printing.