Why letters work
A letter lands on the kitchen table. An email lands in spam.
In a world of overflowing inboxes and ignored ads, a physical letter is the most effective way to reach a homeowner. The data is clear. Letters get opened, get read, and get remembered.
95% of letters get opened.
A letter arrives at someone's door and gets picked up, carried inside, and opened. It sits on the kitchen table, the hallway shelf, or the counter. It stays visible for days. That's a 95% open rate.
Email sits at 20-30%. Most of it is filtered, ignored, or deleted without being read. A letter doesn't have a spam filter.
Source: DBS Data
Two minutes of undivided attention.
The average person spends 134 seconds with a physical letter. They read it, consider it, and often re-read it. That's over two minutes of focused attention on your company and your offer.
Try getting two minutes of attention from a Facebook ad or a cold email. It doesn't happen.
Source: Stannp
They remember your name.
Direct mail produces 70% higher brand recall than digital advertising. When a homeowner receives your letter, reads your company name, and puts it on the side, it sticks. When they're ready to get quotes, your name is the one they reach for.
Physical things are remembered because they're tangible. You held it, you touched it, you kept it. A banner ad disappears the moment you scroll past.
Source: Stannp
Letters don't just get read. They drive action.
When someone picks up the phone or visits a website because of a letter they received, they're already interested. 38% of those visits convert to a meaningful action. Compare that to a typical digital ad click-through that converts at 2-3%.
For a builder, "action" means a homeowner rings you to ask for a quote. That's the whole game.
Source: Stannp
Direct mail you can finally measure.
The one thing digital always had over mail was tracking. PlanPost closes that gap. Add an optional QR code to every letter, and when a homeowner scans it, the visit is logged to that exact lead and counted in your dashboard.
No more guessing whether the post is landing. You can see which letters get scanned, tie real engagement back to the job, and put more behind what's working. Included on every plan.
- Homeowner scans the code on your letter
- Visit logged to that lead's timeline
- Counted in your 30-day dashboard stats
The smartest businesses are going physical.
82% of marketers are increasing their direct mail spend in 2025, up from 58% in 2024. And 84% say direct mail delivers the highest ROI of any channel they use. The shift from digital-only back to physical is accelerating, and the builders who get there first win the jobs.
Source: Stannp
PlanPost does it all for you
You don't need to become a direct mail expert.
PlanPost monitors planning applications, matches them to your area, and prints and posts a branded letter to the homeowner on your behalf. You get the 95% open rate, the 134 seconds of attention, and the 70% recall advantage without lifting a finger.
- Letters designed, printed and posted for you
- Every new planning application in your area, daily
- Full pipeline tracking from first letter to job won
- From £39/mo, no contract, cancel anytime
No contract · Cancel anytime · 14-day satisfaction guarantee