6 of the Best Personalization Strategies to Drive Direct Mail Marketing Success
While many people think that digital media has made direct-mail marketing obsolete, traditional, physical mailings actually provide a superior return on investment. At the same time, not all direct mail campaigns are created equal. Several factors play into the success of a campaign.
One of the ways that marketers can really grab the attention of potential customers and get them to consider their offer is personalization. Personalization for direct mail used to be very expensive, which made digital marketing all the more appealing. However, many computer-based mailing systems with a wide array of options make personalization easier than ever before.
Some personalization strategies you should consider for your next direct mail marketing campaign include the following:
1. Name
The most basic form of personalization is addressing the mailing to the recipient. However, you can make a better impression by going beyond this basic approach and including the recipient’s name throughout the copy. People generally love seeing their own name, and seeing it in the copy helps to pull them into the message. Additionally, printed copy with this personalized touch is new to many people, so it will stand out and make them feel special.
Generally, using just a first name will give the mailing a more conversational tone, while an honorific (such as Mr. or Mrs.) along with the individual’s last name will look more formal. You should choose which sounds right for your brand, and be consistent.
2. History
Companies can use past purchase histories to suggest new items for sale. For example, someone who purchased a new camera may enjoy some accessories to go along with it.
But when using associations to appeal to customers, it is crucial that marketers make logical connections. Sometimes, things that seem to go together may not make sense for a customer. For instance, if your customer bought tea, you should not offer them coffee — they may not like it. However, the customer may like a new tea brewing system.
You can use software to put people in groups automatically based on their purchase history, which facilitates this type of personalization.
3. Reminders
Another great way to personalize a direct mail message is to look at the average use time for a particular product or service and then send reminders with special deals. This strategy works particularly well with consumables.
For example, a pet supply company could send a coupon for dog food at a time when they estimate the customer is likely to run out of the past bag. These coupons should also have an expiration date to reinforce a sense of urgency among customers.
The danger with this approach, however, is in reminding people too often. When a company becomes annoying in its frequency of mailings, then customers will start throwing the mail directly into the trash and begin to think negatively of the company.
4. Maps
Customers are often impressed when direct mail comes with a customized map that shows them exactly how to get to the nearest store location from their home address. While these sorts of maps may sound hard to implement into your mailing campaign, geo-location services make it very easy to customize directions and maps based on an exact address.
This mailing strategy can show potential customers that your store is actually much closer than they think, which can encourage them to visit. Plus, they may see that the location is in a part of town where they spend a lot of time, so they’ll think about stopping in next time they are in the area. Of course, including some sort of incentive, such as a coupon, makes it even more likely that the person will visit.
5. PURLs
Direct mail campaigns often do best when they integrate with an online presence, whether that means the company’s direct website or social media. A way of personalizing this connection is through the use of a URL or QR code that customers can scan with their smartphone.
Now, companies can use personalized URLs (PURLs) that will take a customer to a landing page specifically designed for them. This landing page can be pre-filled with their information (such as a mailing address), suggestions for purchases, and other personalized touches. Research has shown that PURLs can drive response rates by 20 percent to 30 percent. Plus, PURLs have the added benefit of making it easier to gather information from customers and gauge their online interactivity.
6. Location data
People are naturally curious about what the people around them are doing. You can appeal to this part of human nature by using purchase data to show individuals what their neighbors are buying. The mailing can show that a certain number of people on the block have purchased a particular product and encourage the customer to do the same.
Of course, this information should not be the crux of the argument about why the customer needs your product or service, but it can help to push individuals toward action. Plus, this data could be linked to testimonials written by people in the neighborhood so that potential customers can see exactly what their neighbors think.
