Direct mail vs email marketing: which works best in 2026?

In today’s fast-moving digital world, marketers are spoiled for choice when it comes to reaching their audience. Amid all the options and channels available, there’s one debate that reappears frequently: direct mail vs email marketing.

Both channels have evolved significantly over the past decade, offering unique strengths and characteristics that continue to influence campaign decisions.

While email delivers speed, scale and instant metrics, direct mail offers a tangible, targeted experience that often drives deeper engagement. As businesses seek to create meaningful customer touchpoints across the funnel, many are re-evaluating how to combine these tools, rather than viewing them in competition.

This article will explore:

The core differences between direct mail and email marketing
When and why each format performs best
How to use both channels together for better results
Practical guidance on choosing the right approaches for your campaigns

What is direct mail marketing?

Direct mail marketing involves sending printed promotional materials directly to a recipient’s home or business address. It’s a form of traditional marketing that aims to engage customers through physical, tangible media, which stands out in an increasingly digital world.

Typical formats include postcards, flyers, catalogues, brochures and personalised letters. These are often used for product launches, promotional offers, event invitations or re-engagement campaigns.

The key benefits of direct mail lie in its physical presence and high visibility. Compared to emails – which can be overlooked, ignored or deleted in seconds – direct mail is more likely to be handled, read and remembered, especially when well-designed and targeted. It offers an effective way to reach audiences who may be less responsive to digital messages or who value a more tactile brand experience.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is the use of electronic mail to send promotional, informational or transactional messages to a list of recipients. It’s a core digital marketing channel that allows businesses to communicate directly with customers at scale and with precision.

Common email formats include newsletters, product announcements, drip campaigns, abandoned cart reminders and special offers. These can be personalised based on user behaviour or segmented by interest, location or demographics.

The main advantages of email marketing are speed, low cost and measurability. Campaigns can be launched quickly, adjusted in real time and tracked for opens, clicks and conversions. It’s also highly scalable, which makes it ideal for nurturing leads, driving sales and maintaining customer relationships with minimal overheads.

Direct mail vs email marketing: key differences

Direct mail and email marketing are proven communication tools, but they offer very different experiences for both businesses and recipients. The table below highlights some of the key differences to consider when planning a campaign:

Criteria	Direct mail	Email marketing
Engagement rate	High – 96%, according to Marketreach	Lower – 36% average open rates across all industries, according to Mailchimp
Personalisation	Highly personal with customised content, names and offers	Strong personalisation through dynamic content and segmentation
Cost	Higher production and postage costs	Lower costs, especially for high-volume sends
Delivery time	Slower – depends on postal schedules	Instant – messages can be delivered in seconds
Longevity	Physical presence holds attention for longer and boosts recall	Easy to ignore, forget or delete without reading

Understanding these differences can help you match the right channel to your goals, audience and message.

7 scenarios where direct mail outperforms email

While email is often the go-to channel for speed and scale, there are several situations where direct mail can offer better results. Its physical presence, creative potential and perceived value make it particularly effective in these scenarios:

Launching premium products – High-quality printed materials can convey exclusivity and reinforce brand positioning.
Reaching older or offline audiences – Direct mail is ideal for demographics less likely to engage with digital content.
Building brand trust – Tangible, well-produced mail can enhance credibility and leave a lasting impression.
Cutting through digital noise – With email inboxes overflowing, physical letterboxes often see less competition.
High-value B2B outreach – B2B direct mail can stand out in ways that email simply can’t.
Event invitations – Personalised print invites add a touch of importance and increase response rates.
Customer re-engagement – When email goes ignored, a well-timed letter or postcard can reignite interest.

In many of these cases, the perceived effort and cost of postage, design and delivery can actually work in your favour – adding weight and value to your message.

Combining direct mail and email for maximum impact

Direct mail and email don’t have to compete. In fact, they’re often more powerful when used together as part of an omnichannel marketing strategy. Combining the tactile impact of physical post with the speed and flexibility of email could lead to stronger audience recall, engagement and conversion rates for your brand.

Here’s how a blended approach could work:

Start with direct mail to introduce a product or offer.
Follow up with email to reinforce the message and prompt action.
Include QR codes or personalised URLs in print pieces to drive recipients online.
Use engagement data from emails (such as opens and clicks) to segment and trigger targeted mailings.
Create consistent branding across formats for a seamless customer experience.

Digital printing and litho printing can both play a role here – enabling everything from short-run, personalised pieces to high-volume bulk mailing.

When well-coordinated, a combined direct mail and email marketing approach can elevate your campaigns and ensure no opportunity slips through the net.

How to choose: direct mail or email?

While direct mail and email can work powerfully together, there may still be times when you’re faced with a choice between them. Making this decision comes down to understanding your audience, your message and the results you want to achieve.

Consider:

Audience preferences – Are they more likely to engage with physical mail or digital content?
Campaign goals – Are you aiming to build brand awareness, drive conversions or re-engage lapsed customers?
Budget and resources – Direct mail involves costs such as design, production and postage, but can offer a more impactful end result.
Message urgency – Email is instant, but direct mail often has more staying power.

If you’re considering direct mail but feel unsure about planning or optimising campaigns for the best results, you could benefit from partnering with an experienced, end-to-end mailing house.

From data cleansing and digital printing to campaign planning and bulk mailing, our services can help you reach the right people with maximum impact.