Today’s consumers want to be treated as individuals whose personal preferences are noted and appreciated each time they engage with your brand. According to a study conducted by SmarterHQ: “72% of today’s consumers say they only engage with marketing messages tailored to their interests.”
Today, the best way to create an effective direct mail marketing campaign is by using Variable Data Printing (VDP) to personalize each individual mailing piece so it will command the recipient’s attention.
According to recent article in Printing Impressions: “True personalization takes into account demographics, region, even the point in a buying cycle a specific customer is in to create a unique mailer for every recipient. As modern technologies, especially on the inkjet printing side, have evolved, that kind of deeply personal mail piece is not only achievable, but more cost effective.”
Here are three ways you can use VDP to personalize your next direct mail campaign, convert recipients to customers and ultimately increase your marketing ROI.
- Hyper-Personalize with Multiple Data Points. Using VDP simply to address your mailing piece to a recipient’s first name is a waste of this awesome tool. Depending on the depth of your data, you can use the person’s geographic location, demographics, hobbies, preferences, and prior behavior to customize a mail piece so every part of it is deeply relatable to that individual. According to SmarterHQ: “And though consumers are suspicious…they’re also willing to share their data if they receive convenience or reward in return. 90% are willing to share their behavioral data for a cheaper and easier shopping experience, including special discounts, back-in-stock notifications, product recommendations, and more.”
- Use Compelling & Relevant Graphics and Images. Not only has the act of interacting with a physical mail piece been proven to provide an enhanced consumer experience over email and other digital media, it is also the perfect vehicle for highly engaging, personalized images. Take your data a step further by using it to source relevant photos or graphics for each individual mail piece. Does the recipient love cats? Include a cute cat photo. Are they a fan of a specific sports team? Use the team’s color palette to evoke a positive response.
- Doublecheck Your Data. Sending mail pieces to individuals containing messaging that is based on mismatched, irrelevant or erroneous data can do more harm than good. One example is addressing the piece to a nickname that may be appropriate for the recipient’s given name but is not that individual’s personal preference. In fact, they may even hate it! For example, “Robert” may prefer “Bob” but dislike “Bobby”, while Nancy always uses her full name, never “Nan”. Clean data leads to more accurate personalization, higher engagement rates, and ultimately, higher ROI.
VDP is a great solution for direct mail marketing campaigns in a wide variety of industries from retail and real estate to travel and hospitality. Everybody likes to be treated like a VIP! But there are a few industries that benefit from VDP in particular, including:
- Healthcare: Medicare re-enrollment mailings, personalized insurance offers, appointment reminders.
- Finance: Rate promotions, credit card offerings.
- Education: Mailings highlighting academic programs and athletics that match individual student interests.
Boombox® propelled by Southeastern offers smart solutions for direct mail marketing that integrate VDP along with a suite of other tools like Social Match, Mail Tracking, Informed Delivery, Online and Social Media Follow-Up, and much more. Please contact Southeastern for a Boombox demonstration today.
For more information variable data printing or to schedule a demo, contact your Southeastern representative, or email sales@seprint.com.
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