Summary
Fax marketing lets businesses reach customers directly through flyers, brochures, and offers sent by fax rather than having them land in an already crowded email inbox. It works especially well for finance, legal, insurance, and real estate companies, where recipients already rely on fax for daily business. Effective campaigns use the whole page, stick to fax-ready designs, and get tested before going out to a full list. Every fax comes with delivery confirmation, and US and Canadian rules require consent and an opt-out option.
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Businesses are always looking for new ways to reach customers, and fax marketing remains one of the most overlooked channels available. Used well, it puts your message directly in front of decision-makers, especially in industries like finance, legal, insurance, and real estate, where fax is still part of daily business.
FaxBurner’s online fax service makes it easy to run a fax marketing campaign without a physical machine. Send faxes from your phone with our free iPhone app, or use our email-to-fax service to send from any computer.
What Is Fax Marketing?
Fax marketing, also called fax advertising, is the practice of sending promotional materials, like flyers, brochures, or coupons, to potential customers via fax. It works the same way as direct mail or email marketing, just through a different channel.
Do I Need a Fax Machine to Send Marketing Faxes?
In the past, sending a fax required a physical fax machine. However, with advances in technology, businesses can now send faxes electronically without physical equipment.
So the short answer is no, you don’t need a fax machine to send marketing faxes.
The longer answer is that these days, online fax services like FaxBurner let you send faxes from a computer, smartphone (through your email client or with our iPhone app), or tablet, without a physical machine or dedicated phone line. That makes it much easier to run a coordinated fax marketing campaign, since you’re not tied to a single machine in a single office.
How to Build an Effective Fax Marketing Campaign
When creating a fax campaign, adhering to a few best practices goes a long way toward ensuring your marketing campaign is effective, reaches its target audience, and achieves the intended results. These include:
- Using the whole page to maximize the impact of your message. Avoid large blank margins, and use a font size that’s easy to read at a glance.
- Consider the limitations of fax machines and design your campaign for fax-quality output. Fax machines don’t reproduce fine lines or small text the way regular printed marketing materials would, so stick with bold, simple designs.
- Test it before you send it. Send a test fax to a few different machines to check image quality and readability before sending it to your full list.
The Benefits of Fax Marketing
Despite being an older technology, fax marketing still offers real advantages for businesses that use it well.
| Benefit | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Low Cost | No expensive equipment or big marketing team needed. It’s cheaper than traditional direct mail and doesn’t take a large investment to get started. |
| Brand Visibility | A fax puts your message directly in a recipient’s hands, which helps your brand stay top of mind and builds recognition over repeat sends. |
| Customization | Messages can be tailored to each recipient, from personalized offers to relevant follow-ups based on past purchases. |
| Stronger Relationships | Regular faxes keep your brand visible and give customers an easy way to reach you directly with questions. |
Fax Marketing vs. Email Marketing
When it comes to direct marketing, businesses have a wide range of options to choose from. Two popular methods are fax and email marketing. Here’s a breakdown of when to deploy each type of campaign.
| Factor | Fax Marketing | Email Marketing |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Older or traditional audiences, and regulated industries that already use fax | Large audiences and scalable outreach |
| Cost | Low, pay per fax or a flat monthly plan | Low, scales with list size |
| Delivery | Delivery confirmation on every fax sent | Can land in spam folders or go unopened |
| Personalization | Recipient name, logo, and tailored offers | Segmentation and merge tags |
| Regulations | FCC and CRTC opt-out rules | CAN-SPAM Act |
Fax marketing tends to work best when you’re reaching older or more traditional audiences, or industries that already rely on fax for legal or regulatory reasons. Recipients are more likely to notice a fax than an email buried in a crowded inbox. Email marketing is the better fit when you need to reach a large audience at scale and want to track opens, clicks, and other engagement data.
What Industries Can Benefit From Fax Marketing?
Fax marketing can work for almost any business, but a few industries see especially strong results:
- Finance: Banks and financial services companies use fax marketing to send personalized offers, account statements, and loan approvals, while building customer trust along the way.
- Legal: Law firms use fax marketing to put legal documents and service offers directly in front of potential clients, with a much better chance of being seen than a marketing email.
- Insurance: Insurance companies use fax to notify policyholders of rate changes and new coverage options, while marketing campaigns also help insurers land new corporate accounts.
- Real estate: Sending property listings and open house invitations by fax lets agents reach clients who lack reliable internet access or prefer fax, which is especially useful for out-of-town and commercial deals.
Certain industries, including healthcare, legal, and financial services, also rely on fax for regulatory reasons rather than marketing alone.
Note: Healthcare providers handling protected health information are required to use a HIPAA-compliant fax solution. FaxBurner is not one, but compliant options are available.
Is Fax Marketing Regulated?
Yes. In many countries, fax marketing is subject to regulations aimed at protecting consumers from unsolicited faxes. In the United States and Canada, for example, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) have rules requiring businesses to obtain recipients’ prior consent before sending fax advertisements. Both governing bodies also require that fax advertisements include an opt-out option, allowing recipients to opt out of receiving future faxes from the sender.
Before you launch your marketing campaign, check the fax marketing laws in every country where you do business. Skipping this step can mean fines and damaged customer relationships.
Getting Started With Fax Marketing
Fax marketing is a direct, personalized way to reach customers who might otherwise miss your message in a crowded inbox. FaxBurner lets you run a fax marketing campaign without a machine or dedicated phone line. Send from your computer, phone, or tablet, and get delivery confirmation on every fax you send.
