Direct mail marketing is not as outdated as you might have thought. In fact, it’s actually still thriving.

Many companies stopped spending money on mailing things like catalogs, direct mail letters, and newsletters to customers once the recession hit a few years back. The form of advertising was even declared dead by media outlets.

Now, however, direct mail is making a comeback and is doing so in big numbers.

Valpak Direct Marketing Systems is a market leader in direct mail marketing. It has more than 160 franchise locations throughout the United States and Canada providing print and digital advertising solutions. It reaches over 40 million homes and is a consistent leader in the $45 billion industry.

While direct mail may be helping companies to reach a wide range of customers, Maryland residents could benefit from direct mail. Washington Top News reports that as many as 240,000 Maryland residents are missing out on the chance to get help with enrolling in health insurance.

“It gets harder and harder every day,” said Mark Romaninsky, program director for Seedco, a nonprofit that serves as one of several “connectors” for Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. “How do you find those pockets of people?”

Contrary to belief, direct mail does not only appeal to older Americans. According to Newswire, 92% of shoppers in the younger demographic said that they prefer direct mail marketing when making their purchasing decisions. This seems to be a growing trend among millennials.

Entrepreneur reports that Costco was the third largest monthly publication in 2013, sending over 8.6 million magazines and catalogs each month. Of those catalogs that are sent out, 56% of members who get them buy something based on what they read in it, which goes to show that direct mail is still an effective way to connect with customers.

Considering the fact that 48% of people who receive direct mail keep it for future reference, Costco and others businesses using direct mail are appealing to a large market.