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The Future is Physical: Why Consumers Increasingly Want to Digitally Disconnect

By: Andrew Glover
May 20, 2019

Consumers are spending almost their entire day staring at a screen. Whether computer, cell phones, or TVs, digital media screens are now all-consuming. The internet is over a quarter century old, and now more people are becoming aware of digital addiction.

There is a desire to stop the digital addition by breaking away from technology. Around 7 out of 10 consumers have taken steps to cut back on their online time. Interestingly, 45% of Americans are trying to unplug from technology at least one day a week. Based on these new desires to take breaks from the internet, we need to re-evaluate how we interact with consumers. Otherwise, our interactions with members may go unnoticed or appear burdensome.

What is Digital Fatigue?

The average person is on social media for two hours every day, with near constant exposure to advertisements in social media feeds. Digital marketing is over-saturated. People are overwhelmed by digital advertising and companies who are constantly overloading consumers’ email inboxes and social media feeds. Organizations that are overloading the digital world with ads may find themselves quickly ignored.

Big businesses and organizations are now using digital spaces to excess. The constant overload of online advertisements has caused people to stop showing interest because of overexposure to the same ad content. With every organization pouring their marketing budget into digital options their member experience will continue to diminish.

Since the online marketing world is so over-saturated, it’s important for non-profits to re-think their marketing strategies. A good strategy is to go back to using a physical channel for marketing. The quality of an organization’s marketing outreach will greatly improve by choosing a physical channel, with direct mail making a strong resurgence of the past few years. Direct mail is the perfect way to improve the member experience and provide better quality interactions.

Revamp the Member Experience

Scientists have found that people are having a more challenging time learning and remembering information due to the high level of screen time. Even our small moments of downtime involve watching a quick video online or texting a friend back. Filling every moment of our days with technology has taken away our ability to give our brains a break. The way we process information is poor because of this constant overflow of online exposure.

Since more people crave less screen time, it’s crucial for organizations to cater to this change. By offering physical marketing options, your organization isn’t cramming your members with digital clutter. Your members will have more breaks from technology. Then they will have a better chance to learn from your materials and remember the valuable content you send them. Direct mail is a valuable alternative to digital advertising.

Re-Think Direct Mail

Paper materials can be more memorable than digital content. Paper is more impactful when it comes to informing members about your organization. In one Canadian study, people were able to recall brands via paper advertisements 75% of the time but remembered digital-only ad brands 44% of the time. Direct mail is far more personable and memorable compared to digital.

Direct mail gives people time to think. The much-needed break from technology allows people the time to process the ads. Direct mail also forces the recipient to read the materials. Whether they decide to throw out the mail or not, they have to read the materials before making a decision. But online, people can scroll by thousands of ads a day without reading a single word. Digital ads are easy to avoid, but direct mail allows people time to actually process the information before making a decision.

Providing advertisements that are more frequently read and processed allows better exposure to your organization. Instead of throwing all of your time into digital advertisements like many others, focus on creating higher quality marketing materials to send through the mail. Both your organization and your members will gain value from a direct mail route over digital.

Create a Memorable Member Experience with Valtim

Valtim is capable of helping your organization create memorable direct mail interactions every time. Together we can create informative cards, personable letters, and helpful pamphlets to educate your members on your organization’s mission and goals. Your members will remember your direct mail interactions far more than any online options available. Let Valtim help you along your path to creating meaningful interactions with your members.

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