As a society, we like personalized experiences. A coupon for a favorite store that’s labeled “just for you,” members-only shopping days or hours, food cooked to order, a healthcare provider that goes above and beyond for a patient—these are all customized experiences that make an individual feel special and like something was done just for them.
Personalizing a marketing campaign can feel complicated and overwhelming when you think about how many marketing materials you need. Additionally, you may feel limited based on your industry. However, the good news is that personalized materials can work in every industry, and the process isn’t as hard as you may think. Let’s take a look at what variable data printing is and how it can help customize your marketing strategy.
The importance of creating a tailored experience for consumers can’t be understated. In a survey, 71 percent of respondents stated that they expect personalized experiences and organizations to recognize them individually and know about their interests. Additionally, 60 percent of consumers said they are likely to go back to a store, restaurant, or provider because they had a good, personalized experience.
Consumers associate personalization with feeling special, which creates a positive experience. It indicates an investment in the relationship between the organization and the individual, making it vital to incorporate personalization in a marketing strategy.
Variable data printing can help you connect with your audience on a more personal level, leading to higher conversion rates. Consider the amount of mail an average individual may receive in a day. There may be a lot of letters and flyers that aren’t relevant, and these items get tossed into the trash. This is because the same materials with the same messages are being sent out to every person in the organization’s database, so items aren’t hitting the right target for everyone.
To hit the right target and achieve better success rates, it’s essential for marketing efforts to be customized on a personal level. Maintaining a database of consumer info such as lifestyle preferences, demographics, and shopping preferences can help produce messaging that is tailored to specific consumers within the larger group.
Variable data printing is beneficial for every industry. Each industry has materials that need to be sent to individuals in their database, and variable data printing can help make this possible. Instead of sending thousands of identical brochures to individuals in the database, variable data printing can create thousands of customized brochures—and within the same amount of time.
Names, images, wording, and any other piece of data on a piece of mail can be customized. Additionally, any item can be personalized—invitations, brochures, envelopes, letters, direct mail campaigns, booklets, annual reports, labels, door hangers—use your imagination. For example, a direct mail campaign can discuss different pre-approved loan rates for different applicants, or a brochure could outline different types of health plans and benefits.
Personalization can also get more in-depth. For example, travel industries and cruise lines collect a tremendous amount of data, such as the excursions an individual went on, the shows they attended, and the items they bought on the boat. This data can then be used to create a customized piece to showcase an upcoming cruise with tailored, discounted suggestions for excursions on the cruise based on the individual’s previous cruise. This campaign could also lead to a follow-up campaign or loyalty program as data is continuously built.
Variable data printing offers organizations the flexibility and personalization needed to tailor experiences for their audience and drive better results. When combined with a powerful storefront, an organization can customize, print, and order on demand from virtually anywhere.
Variable data printing allows companies to create the personalized experience consumers crave without additional time constraints. Interested in learning more about variable data printing and what it can do for you? Sign up for the next issue of our Inspire magazine!