Direct Mail in 2025: Why It Still Works w/ Aaron Boone

Today, AI-filled marketing space, it might sound odd—even outdated—to mention direct mail as a top strategy for 2025.

But we’re not just bringing it up. We’re leaning in. Hard.

Why? Because direct mail is doing more than hanging on—it’s winning. While others are drowning in digital noise, direct mail is quietly getting big results. It grabs attention. It builds trust. And it delivers real returns. You can’t swipe away a postcard. You feel it. It sticks.

And no one gets that better than our own Aaron Boone. He used to catch footballs in the NFL. Now he’s the CEO of MVP Mailhouse. Boone brings the same energy and focus to direct mail. For him, it's not just about sending out cards. It’s about smart moves. Data-backed plans. Personal touches that land in the right hands at the right time.

In a world full of scrolls, swipes, and skips, direct mail stands still—and stands out. It’s not just another ad. It’s a moment. One that people remember.

So if you’ve written off direct mail, think again. Really.

Want more? Check out this episode of Dental Marketing Secrets. It’ll change the way you look at your mailbox.

Summary: What You’ll Learn

• Why direct mail continues to deliver results in 2025
• How Aaron Boone brings an athlete’s mindset to marketing
• What makes mail tangible, trackable, and trusted
• Surprising facts that challenge the digital-first mentality
• Key takeaways for dentists and local business owners

The Comeback Kid: Why Direct Mail Isn’t Dead

Aaron Boone knows comebacks.

He lived them—nine years in pro football. Cowboys. Bears. Even Bon Jovi’s arena football team. (Yes, that Bon Jovi.) A career filled with grit, hits, and highlight reels.

But then came a new field. No lights. No cheers. Just high stakes and tough lessons: dental marketing.

And the trigger? Frustration.

Boone watched dentists throw money at postcards. No call tracking. No targeting. No data. Just blind hope—again and again. It drove him nuts.

So, he built a plan.

Not just another mailer service. A system. Precise. Measurable. Intentional. One where every campaign had a reason. Every dollar had a job. Every postcard had a goal.

He put it plainly:
“I want to do one thing, and do it ridiculously better than anyone else.”

That thing? MVP Mailhouse.

Not just about sending mail. It’s about growing practices. With data. With strategy. With relentless clarity. Boone’s playbook wins yards, yes—but now, it builds businesses.

And that’s a comeback worth watching.

Surprising Truth: People Still Check Their Mail

In 2025, remote work is here to stay. At the same time, digital fatigue is setting in. Hard. And guess what? Direct mail is making a comeback.

Surprised? You’re not alone.

In a world where we scroll endlessly and delete emails without reading them, the physical mailbox feels… different. It’s not just a box anymore—it’s a place of pause.

Boone, a marketing expert, says it best:

“The mailbox is the new breakroom.”

He’s not wrong.

When we’re glued to screens all day, anything tangible stands out. A piece of mail? It’s real. You touch it. You hold it. You notice it.

Now picture this: a bold 6x11 postcard sitting on your kitchen counter. It doesn’t vanish when you close a tab. It doesn’t get buried under notifications. It stays. It lingers.

And more importantly—it gets read.

Good direct mail isn’t clutter. It’s created. Designed with care. It has color, texture, message, intent.

And when it lands just right—when it speaks to a need, strikes a feeling, or just looks too good to ignore—it connects. Really connects.

No autoplay. No pop-up. No spam folder. Just a story, told in silence. Absorbed in full.

That’s why direct mail works in 2025.

It’s not old-school.

It’s offline—and that’s exactly the point.

Beyond Junk: How to Make Mail Matter

Boone says direct mail only turns into “junk” when there’s no real purpose behind it. What really makes the difference? Personalization, powered by strategy. It’s not just about stamps and paper. It’s about meaning.

Here’s how to stand out:

• Show your real team. Not the cheesy stock photos. Use your staff’s real smiles. Real people build real trust.
• Add verified patient reviews. Don’t just cherry-pick praise—use the actual feedback. Let people see proof.
• Make offers that speak to both groups: those paying cash and those using insurance. Specifics help people act fast.
• Measure what matters. Give each campaign its own phone number. Track calls. Score the quality. Know what’s working.

When done with care, direct mail isn’t noise. It’s sharp. It builds trust. It gets results. In a mailbox full of silence, it shouts in a good way.

Authenticity? It sells. Even on paper.

The Analytics Playbook: Lessons from Pro Sports

Aaron Boone knows what it’s like to play to win. On the football field, there’s no room for random guesses—just clear plans and sharp moves. That same mindset is baked into MVP Mailhouse. He treats dental marketing like a science. With tools like heat mapping and call tracking, we find the cracks in your patient funnel.

Forget gut feelings. MVP Mailhouse doesn’t guess. We reviewed more than 170,000 recorded dental calls. The result? Eye-opening stats you can’t ignore:

One out of every three calls—yes, 33%—goes unanswered. Think about that. That’s money, gone. No ringback. No revenue.

Even worse? Only 10% of those missed calls bother to leave a voicemail. That’s a huge hole in your front desk system. Unless you're tracking those gaps, they stay hidden—and costly.

So, what’s the secret to turning a caller into a patient?

It’s not your degrees. Not your website. Not your location.

It’s this: ask for the appointment.

That’s it.

These aren’t tips from a blog. These are facts, proven by data. And the difference between a slow practice and one that’s booked solid? It’s not some marketing hack. It’s habit. It’s training. It’s doing the small things, the right way, over and over again.

MVP Mailhouse doesn’t do gimmicks. No fluff. We build systems. Smart, repeatable, tested ones. The kind that bridge the gap between what you spend and who walks through your door.

It’s the same formula that wins championships: Prep hard. Execute clean. Improve constantly.

The Cost Breakdown: Is Direct Mail Worth It?

Yes, direct mail costs money. But what it gives you is clarity, focus—and results.

Sending mail to 10,000 homes? You’re looking at about $5,000. That includes everything: design, printing, postage, and delivery. It’s not a shot in the dark. It’s targeted. It hits the right people. At the right time. In the right place.

What’s a new dental patient worth? On average, $1,000 to $1,500 per year. And that’s just the start. Think family members. Think regular visits. Think referrals.

So when does it start to make sense?

Break-even happens fast. Just 4 or 5 new patients. That’s all it takes. After that? It’s all upside.

Let’s talk ROI. Dental offices often see 2x to 6x returns in the first 30 to 90 days. Sometimes more. It depends on how good your offer is. How accurate your targeting is. And how fast you follow up.

But here’s the truth: direct mail isn’t the whole engine.

The system behind it is.

Start with smart targeting—income, homeowner status, insurance coverage. Add in sharp, original creative—no boring postcard templates. Then move fast when calls come in—don’t wait hours. Minutes matter.

That’s how mail turns into patients.

And it gets even better.

Our team does more than send mail. They score calls. They chase down missed ones. They sync results with your practice software. So it’s not just marketing.

It’s data-driven performance.

You’re not guessing.

You’re knowing.

Key Takeaways

• Direct mail is thriving in 2025, especially for local service businesses like dental practices.
• Aaron Boone brings a winning mindset—combining sports discipline with marketing analytics.
• Physical mail stands out in a crowded digital world and creates a real moment of attention.
• Repetition matters—one postcard is nice, but a sequence builds trust and results.
• Tracking is essential—if you're not analyzing your campaign's calls, you're flying blind.
• Target the right homes using data—not just a 5-mile radius guesswork.
• Offers drive behavior, but authenticity builds retention.
• It’s not just about impressions—it’s about conversions and lifetime value.

Final Thoughts

Aaron Boone’s story is inspiring, not just because of his football career, but because of his commitment to doing one thing exceptionally well. In a world where marketers chase the latest trend, MVP Mailhouse proves that focus, strategy, and execution still win.

So if you’re a dentist—or any local service provider—wondering if direct mail is worth it in 2025?

The answer, backed by data and decades of real-world results, is a resounding yes.

Ready to see your heatmap? Visit MVP Mailhouse and request a free custom map of your patient base. Just mention this post or episode #94 on the Dental Marketing Secrets podcast to get started.

Stay tuned for more marketing insights that actually move the needle.