State of Direct Mail 2025
Why insurers are doubling down on direct mail – and how to deepen its impact
Mail is a trusted channel for customer engagement in the insurance industry. We surveyed 400+ marketing and operations leaders focused on increasing mail volume this year – while deploying smarter strategies for better ROI. The best-performing teams are using automation, data-driven personalization, and omnichannel integration to maximize impact while keeping costs under control. Let’s take a look into how insurance marketers and operators use direct mail today.
Insights-at-a-glance
Mail volumes are increasing
Surveyed insurance brands plan to increase sends from 24.9M in 2024 to 51.2M pieces in 2025.
Direct mail is still a top performer
71% of insurance marketers say it's one of their highest-ROI channels.
Automation unlocks more potential
High-ROI insurance teams use automation for more meaningful personalization, yet adoption remains low.
Data gaps limit direct mail impact
Outdated and siloed data make targeting and omnichannel integration a challenge for insurers.
About Lob’s State of Direct Mail 2025.
Lob and Comperemedia, a Mintel company, surveyed 405+ marketing and operations leaders across healthcare, financial services, and insurance to uncover the key trends shaping direct mail strategy—revealing best practices and insights for the industries that rely on it most.
Mail volumes are increasing – but response rates lag.
Insurance marketers have a trusted tool in their arsenal: direct mail. It delivers high ROI, and plays an important role in compliant communications. They rely on it so much that our surveyed respondents say they plan to double their volume this year.
But there’s room to sharpen its impact. 72% of insurance marketing and operations leaders call it their highest-performing channel, and more than a third cite response rates as a top challenge.
The opportunity? Fine-tuning direct mail strategies to drive even stronger engagement and results.
How much direct mail does your team send every year?
How to take action
Insurance companies can boost response rates by deploying a few of these strategic approaches:
- Hyper-personalized policy offers – Tailor messaging based on life events, renewal dates, or claims history.
- QR codes & PURLs for instant action – Drive recipients directly to online quote tools, claim portals, or customer dashboards.
- Localized campaigns – Customize messaging based on ZIP code, weather patterns, or regional insurance needs.
The right format = The right results.
Choosing the right direct mail format is just as important as the message itself. Insurance companies lean especially on self-mailers and brochures to educate customers on policy benefits, rate changes, and renewal options, with 63% using self-mailers in their direct mail program.
How to choose the right format for your audience:
Letters
Personal, official, and detail-driven
- Policy renewal notices – A personalized letter reminding policyholders of their upcoming renewal with a breakdown of their current coverage and any new benefits.
- Lapsed policy win-back – A message offering an exclusive discount or incentive to reinstate a recently expired policy.
- Regulatory compliance updates – Clear, direct communication about changes in policy terms or new state/federal insurance requirements.
- Preventive care reminders (Healthcare) – A personalized letter encouraging members to schedule annual check-ups, screenings, or vaccinations covered by their plan.
Brochures & self-mailers
Educational and visually engaging
- Coverage comparison guide – A side-by-side breakdown of different plan options to help policyholders make informed decisions.
- New product introduction – A visually appealing mailer showcasing a new coverage option, like cyber insurance for homeowners or telematics-based auto policies.
- Open enrollment education (Healthcare) – A mailer guiding members through plan selection, benefits, and key deadlines for the upcoming enrollment period.
Postcards
Quick, eye-catching, and action-oriented
- Payment reminders – A friendly nudge to customers with an upcoming premium due date, including a QR code for easy online payment.
- Prescription refill reminders (Healthcare) – A quick, visual reminder prompting members to refill their medications before they run out.
- Cross-sell promotions – A message targeting auto insurance customers with an offer to add renters or homeowners insurance at a reduced rate.
By leveraging the right format, insurers can create high-impact direct mail campaigns that drive action and improve customer engagement.
Automation drives deeper personalization.
Personalization is key to engagement in insurance, with 80% of insurance marketers saying it boosts response rates. Yet many aren’t maximizing its potential. Our State of Direct Mail report found that the highest-ROI teams use automation software to personalize beyond basic details like name and address, tailoring messaging based on loyalty data, customer behavior, and preferences.
Personalization attributes – Insurance
Currently, only 44% of insurance executives told us they actively use customer data for personalization, and just 38% use software to execute direct mail campaigns, the lowest among all industries surveyed.
How to drive deeper personalization:
A personalized offer drives far more engagement than a generic mailer. Here’s how insurance marketers can level up their direct mail strategy:
- Integrate with CRM & digital data – Sync direct mail efforts with online behaviors, quote requests, and claims activity.
- Find an automation partner – Work with a platform that streamlines personalization, integrates seamlessly with your tech stack, and optimizes campaign execution.
- Create trigger-based mailings – Automatically send direct mail based on customer actions (e.g., policy nearing expiration, incomplete online quote).
Customer data gaps undermine insurance mail.
60% of insurance marketers struggle with outdated or incomplete customer data and 51% with a lack of lookalike data. And in a highly regulated industry, bad data doesn’t just waste money, it creates compliance risks.
Top data and targeting challenges for insurance leaders
How to take action on smarter targeting
- Integrate with CRM & digital data – Sync direct mail efforts with online behaviors, quote requests, and claims activity.
- Find an automation partner – Work with a platform that streamlines personalization, integrates seamlessly with your tech stack, and optimizes campaign execution.
- Create trigger-based mailings – Automatically send direct mail based on customer actions (e.g., policy nearing expiration, incomplete online quote).
Direct mail and digital work better together.
Insurance marketing requires multiple touchpoints to drive customer action. While 75% of insurance marketers agree direct mail works best as part of an omnichannel strategy, many are stymied by data or tech stack disconnects that create gaps in the customer journey.
How do you integrate direct mail with digital channels?
How to optimize direct + digital campaigns
- Use direct mail to retarget digital leads – Re-engage customers who abandoned an online quote request.
- Track direct mail performance – Leverage QR codes and PURLs to measure mail engagement.
- Trigger digital ads based on mail delivery – Reinforce messages across channels for higher conversions.
Operations is stuck in manual mode.
82% of operations leaders find it extremely challenging to keep up with volume and deadlines for their direct mail programs, with manual processes bogging down the team. 69% say this makes it increasingly difficult to meet industry regulations, like HIPAA or SOC 2.
Top compliance challenges for insurance operators
Top operational challenges for insurance operators
How to take action:
Insurance companies can deploy automation software to realize a host of benefits for their direction mail program:
- Reduce compliance risk – Automate legal notices, rate updates, and regulatory mailings to ensure 'error-free' sends.
- Improve response tracking – Automation can provide real-time delivery insights and attribution data.
- Eliminate production bottlenecks – Deploy batch-free, trigger-based mailings at scale.
- Choose the right automation partner -technology and support can help you execute smarter direct mail strategies and drive better results.
The best insurance brands aren’t guessing — they’re using automation, data, and measurement to make every mailpiece count.
Ready to make direct mail work harder for your insurance company?