Top 4 Benefits of Personalized Direct Mail for your Business

Personalized Direct Mail

In recent years, personalized direct mail has become an effective method that companies use to promote their businesses and drive revenue. Personalized communications will be the prime driver of marketing success within the next years because serving the right message to the right customer creates better customer experience and increase brand perception, which leads to a higher ROI, and positively impact the bottom line. And with a good reason. 

The following direct mail statistics show that a piece of personalized mail can help your business to grow tremendously.

✔ Personalized mail has proved to drive 5 to 15 percent increases in revenue and 10 to 30 percent increases in marketing-spend efficiency—predominantly due to better product recommendations ensured by personalized marketing.

✔ 78% of executives and marketers (51% of whom are B2B businesses) claim that integrated, branded, and personalized direct mail is a highly effective channel.

✔ Non-personalized direct mail gets 61% of credits compared to 55% social media (Marketing Charts). 

The differences between personalized and non-personalized pieces of mail prove that personalization matters.

With so many personalization software options out there now, there’s no reason why you can’t personalize your direct mail. Variable Data Printing services that can control how variable data is placed on each piece are the key component of personalization. The more accurate information you have, the better the personalization will be.

Variable Data Printing services

The Top 5 Benefits of a Personalized Direct Mail 

1. Increased conversion rates

Let’s start with the most obvious benefit: conversion. The conversion rates increase considerably with the number of personalized messages the recipients are exposed to.  

When you tailor your message to your recipients, your message is more relevant to them because it means something. The generic message is the enemy of conversions. It’s worth the extra time and small expense to assure that your piece says the right thing to the right people.

2. Increased customer experience 

Brands that know their customers offer them a better user experience. That’s because personalized communications resonate better with their needs and smooth the buyer’s journey. They treat the customer as a person, not just a name on a mailing list.

The companies that use personalization win consumers by making it easy to click purchase or try out a new product. They’ve given customers what they want, what they expect and what they didn’t even know they needed.

3. Increased lead generation 

Personalization is a key method of improving lead quality for marketers, with 60% of those surveyed saying this is a key strategy. Because 72% of consumers will now only engage with personalized marketing messages, it makes sense that improving marketing personalization is seen as being so important.

4. Greater ROI from Advertising

The personalization itself brings reduced acquisition costs of up to 50% and an increase in marketing spend efficiency by 10-30%, while revenue upticks nearing 5-15%.

Personalization is leading to positive ROI in 75.5% of businesses in North America and Europe. Retail is seeing the greatest impact with nearly 79% of retailers reporting positive ROI due to their personalization efforts.

How to personalize your direct mail pieces

Obtain as much personal information about your current or prospective customers as possible. Fortunately, there’s a vast sea of data on individual consumers today. 

Then analyze the data and leverage it to provide customized, targeted offers, recommendations, and messaging designed to appeal to the individual based on their past behavior, interests, and other data.

Next, create one design layout while deciding what variables the design can have –  different background images, or different colors, different offers or different ad copies. 

Use clients’ data –  gender, age, and birthday and their location to target the prospects located within a certain radius from your business.

Use multiple variable data: from different prices and products to different locations and ad copies. Create a spreadsheet of key data points as they relate to the design, with the placement of variable elements.

Finally, print digitally your unique and personalized mail pieces and send them out. Or find a printer, us for instance, that has also a mailing room facility to print and mail your personalized mail out for you.

Personalized Direct Mail

How to get started

A simple example of personalized marketing is the targeted direct mail you’ve probably received from your favorite store, which is likely addressed with your name. This personalization strategy allows companies to connect with consumers on a personal level, creating a connection that leads to increased sales. What else you can personalize in a direct mail:

  • Offer 

You can use personalized incentive recommendations to further deliver one-to-one experiences to your customers. Instead of sending the same offer to an entire list of current or potential customers, you can define the desired incentive range. Use the information you’ve collected from customers based on their purchasing history, and you will make your offers more appealing.

  • Images

The images and graphics of your direct mail set the mood and draws the recipient into your ad. Get images that will appeal most to each recipient and the conversion rate will grow as well. You can choose images based on the location of customers to make content familiar to them. Also, you can customize images according to the person’s hobbies and preferences.

  • Copy 

Personalization of the copy is the most obvious way to use your customers’ names and other information from your database. Tailor the content and messaging to users’ interests and actions and you’ll make it more relevant to them. 

Also, don’t forget about differences in perception of the same product between men and women. Adjust your content based on gender to make it appealing to men and women as well.

Are you convinced that the personalization is key to a higher ROI? If you’re considering adding direct mail to your marketing mix, act now. Personalization and relevance will be key to getting results, so supercharge your direct mail with digital data.

Also, to increase even more your ROI, check out our Variable Data Printing Services and enjoy 15% off Your First Order. 

What are Variable Data Printing Services?

Variable Data Printing Services

Digital printing technology has evolved dramatically over the last few years. The primary change we will discuss in this article is improved technology with variable data printing services and digital printing presses for direct mail.

Traditional direct mail would send the same image and text to an audience, a bit oversimplified but let’s keep moving. As data about consumers and businesses are more available to marketers, this has paired very well with digital printing technology to evolve as a powerful marketing tool. Now, many mailing companies use data and images to create variable data output, such as direct mail, or variable data printed pieces.

Like with many projects the place to start is at the desired result. What is the objective of the variable data project? Is it branding, increase sales, a special event invitation or something else?

With these few applications in mind, let’s look at some of the nuts and bolts of how a variable data printing project works.

To help simplify the discussion, let’s break it down into three primary components

  • Data, such as a mailing list
  • Images like pictures or design elements
  • The substrate, what is the physical material used in the printing process

Read related article How Variable Data Printing Works

1.Data (the mailing list)

The first component of variable data is the data file with several data fields. In most cases, data consists of an exported file that a common database or CRM program will allow you to export. Typically, these are either Microsoft Excel™ or CSV (comma-separated value) file types. If you do not have a mailing list, most marketing companies, such as VeraPax, can provide a purchased targeted mailing list for your desired audience.

A data field can be as simple as, prefix (Mr. or Mrs.), city name, or age. The more differentiators, or data fields, you have in a data file the more options you have for variable data printing.

Within the data fields, values in a field can be used as triggers, or differentiators, between one record and another or, in other words, one person to another.

Another important reason to start with the data file is to determine the quantity of the project. Often, clients “guesstimate” a project quantity because they do not really know how many records are in their data file. In the example of a direct mail campaign, the USPS (United States Postal Service) requires the mailing list to be processed to meet automation rate postage requirements. This process helps prevent duplicate records, bad addresses (undeliverable) and updates the new mailing address. The results can drop list quantities by significant percentages which save money for both printing and postage.

2.Design elements

In its most basic form, design elements can either be text or images that change based on a trigger in the data.

For example, if the data file record has a prefix of Mr. you can use that trigger to print a masculine image such as a sports car, hunting or football, (forgive the stereotypes).  On the other hand, if your data file record prefix uses Mrs., you can use this to use a more feminine image in your mail piece such as flowers in a light color palette.

Text can also be changed based on a trigger in the data. Using the example above, for all records with the “Mr.” prefix, you can substitute a paragraph of text that strengthens the tie in with the corresponding image.

For example, when the prefix is Mr. your mail piece could use a football image and a paragraph of text such as “Football season is almost here. Order yours today!”

For the “Mrs.” prefix, you could also tailor the message and image such as “Fall is just around the corner, get ready for the Holidays!” with images or design elements of fall and holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Another component of the design elements and data is the PURL. What? Yes, PURL, Personalized Universal Resource Locator. We’ll talk about this in another article. For now, you can think of it as a specific page on the web that only the recipient has access to for marketing purposes and it is highly personalized just for them.

3.The printing substrate

The substrate is a big word for what is the digital output is being printed on. In our example of Direct Mail, the most common would be paper.

However, there are many specific paper types and finishes. With newer digital technology, the substrate can be a synthetic paper or metallic paper. Also, it can have a smooth or a shiny finish (UV Coating), a soft-touch laminate that feels smooth like baby skin), and many more. The substrate is the physical component of the process. All the discussion up to now has been digital. This is where the recipient handles the physical piece, and it engages their emotional and physical senses like touch and feel, or even smell.

For a personalized letter, the size and color of the envelope, are considerations. The teaser copy (a sentence on the outside of the envelope to get the recipient’s attention) such as ”John, your football season can only get better now!”

Summary

So, what’s the big deal with variable data printing? A lot. Just like the technology all around our lives is changing so too is this traditional marketing tool. Variable data increases response rates, engages our physical senses, and can be highly personalized to look, and say, exactly what appeals to your intended recipient.

OUR VARIABLE DATA PRINTING SERVICES WILL ENHANCE YOUR DIRECT MARKETING AND ADVERTISING EFFORTS WHILE HELPING YOU BUILD AND PERSONALIZE YOUR INTERACTION WITH CUSTOMERS! 
GIVE US A CALL TODAY AT 866-269-8328 OR TEXT US AT INFORMATION@VERAPAX.COM.

 

 

How Variable Data Printing (VDP) Works

Variable Data Printing

Every day we are bombarded with thousands of various media, both physical and digital, from animated commercials to tons of free articles to read. You can break through the clutter and capture the audience’s attention only with personalized interaction.

The transition from mass-marketing* printing to Variable Data Printing (VDP) and Personalization is the way you can stay ahead of the competition. It’s a fact stated by multiple studies, recipients pay more attention to personalized mail pieces. With personalized text and visuals created with variable data printing, your direct mail is no longer advertising, but a message to an individual.

Here some more statistics to prove the effectiveness of personalization:

  • 75% of consumers like it when brands personalize messaging and offers. (Aberdeen Group)
  • 86% of consumers say personalized marketing leads to a buying decision. (Infosys)
  • 80% of consumers like it when retailers provide personalized suggestions. (DigitalCommerce360)

Personalized direct mail is highly-targeted and returns outstanding results, compared to bulk mailing. Most marketers know that personalized direct mail helps to increase response rates – by 36 percent in most cases.

Personalization isn’t complicated. Variable data printing can be quickly embraced by businesses that collect customer data regularly. Based on all personal data you can gather about your customer database: purchasing history, shopping preferences, psychographics, demographics, and lifestyle; you can create custom offers that appeal to the right person at the right time.

Personalizing your direct mail will increase your customer’s response rate and overall ROI. Other benefits of VDP include:

✔ The ability to reach customers on a one-to-one level and increase customer engagement.

✔ A dynamic content that develops personal communication.

✔ Testing offers and other variables against different segments.

✔ Using unique codes and PURLs (printed with VDP) allows tracking the effectiveness of your overall marketing strategies.

✔ A fast turnaround insured by VDP makes it easy for a company to send out materials to customers.

Read also What are Variable Data Printing Services?

How does VDP work?

Delivering the right message to the right client at the right time can be done easily with Variable Data Printing. VDP is a database-driven technology that uses a digital printer to personalize marketing materials. It allows, in particular, for text and graphics to change within a single press run.

Instead of 5,000 mail pieces with the same message, VDP enables you to print 5,000 mail pieces to each potential client without slowing down the printing process.

How does it work exactly?

Collect your data from different sources that may include demographics, purchase or browsing history, social likes & dislikes, lifestyle, and habits. Then, we create one design layout while you decide what variables the design can have: different background images, or different colors, and artwork.

Personalize the offer based on clients’ personal data –  gender, age, and birthday. And target the prospects located within a certain radius from your business.

Use multiple variable data: from different prices and products to different locations and ad copy texts. Create a spreadsheet of key data points as they relate to the design and provide us your spreadsheet data and the placement of variable elements.

We print digitally your unique and personalized mail pieces for you to send them out. Or let us mail them out for you.

There are various forms of variable data printing, ranging from simple salutations and addressing to the fully variable changing of text and graphics.

You can use VDP also for A/B testing, sending out different versions of the same mailer to see which performs best. You can test out different creatives: graphics, images, offers, taglines, and anything else that can vary on the mail piece.

Track the response rate effectively, by inserting with the help of VDP customer codes, or personalized URLs or call-tracking numbers to identify the segment that responded best to your offer. Knowing the results of your marketing efforts will help maximize the ROI you see from print marketing.

Also, you can use personalization to customize the offer, speak your clients’ language,  or to build a personal relationship with them based on their personal data, location, or their purchasing history. Here are some examples of VDP usage to get started:

✔ Postcards with geographic location, person’s first and last name.

✔ Personalized invoices.

✔ Custom notepads or calendars with different messaging on each page while layout and design remain the same.

✔ Personalized cards with a coupon for a customer’s birthday.

✔ Discounts offered based on purchase history.

✔ Postcards with incentives in English and other languages, for instance, Spanish.

✔ Reply cards that ask for donations – with increasing or decreasing amounts, using data from previous donations.

To summarize, personalization can easily be embraced if you collect personal data from your customers on a regular basis. Personalized direct mail is highly-targeted and returns outstanding results that help marketers achieve a higher response rate.

* Mass marketing is a market strategy in which a firm decides to ignore market segment differences and appeal the whole market with one offer or one strategy.

Our Variable Data Printing services will further enhance your direct marketing and advertising efforts while helping you build and personalize your interaction with customers!
GIVE US A CALL TODAY AT 866-269-8328 OR TEXT US at INFORMATION@VERAPAX.COM.

TOP 10 Benefits of Digital Printing [Infographic]

Digital Printing

Though digital printing is a relatively new technique, it has quickly become one of the most economical ways to produce small runs. This technique of printing has a lot of advantages, from fast delivery to particularly low costs.

Here at Verapax, we’re committed to continually educating ourselves on the latest in printing technologies and providing advanced solutions for our customers.

In this article, we are going to break down the many benefits of digital printing, and how to use it effectively in your marketing campaigns.

Small Quantities

Printing digitally can get expensive when printing large quantities, making it perfect for printing smaller jobs. For Short Run offset printing jobs, for example, most printers require a minimum amount of 250. But with digitally printing small quantities you can print as little as 25.

Print-on-Demand

Use digital printers to customize white-label products such as T-Shirts, books & journals or bags. Sell these products on a pre-order basis for your audience, and receive the exact quantity you need. No more stocks. No more waste.

Printing on a Budget

Digital technologies have a higher cost per page than traditional offset printing, but the price is usually offset by the fact that there is no need to replace the printing plates within the machine itself. One of the pro’s for offset printing is that the cost decreases the more product you buy. When short runs are needed, digital printing is the obvious choice. You can get the printing service without the need for a large and costly minimum order.

digital printing

Personalization

If you want to print materials such as coupons with unique codes, personally addressed mailers or variable maps, the digital printer is for you. Due to its Variable Data Printing (VDP) capability, a feature not available with offset printing, you can have print personalized materials that suit your clients’ preferences: unique QR Codes or barcodes for tracking, or personalized mailers with names,  unique images or other identifiers.

Short Turnaround Time

Since there are no plates involved in digital printing, project setup time is significantly decreased. Thus, a short run of booklets or catalogs can have very short turnaround times. Not long ago, five days was the minimum turnaround, but with digital printing, your print order can be completed in as little as 24 hours.   

Advanced Options

Skilled printers can offer a large variety of printing options to enhance your print products: features such as foil stamping, UV finishes, and die cuts, as well as binding options like saddle stitching and Wire-O. Digital printing also allows for printing with white and metallic inks, for a polished and striking look.

High-Quality Printing

Although offset printing remains the industry standard with its high color fidelity, it cannot compare to the high quality of digital printing. In the past, digital printing was associated with low-quality products, but in recent years digital printing techniques have greatly improved to ensure the best possible results.  

Environmentally Friendly

Digital printing is excellent for your wallet and even better for the environment. This innovative printing technique contributes to reducing chemical waste, paper waste, and overall emissions. For example, an offset press needs to be run for a few minutes on “scrap” sheets of paper until the plates are properly inked. Think of it like “warmup” sheets that are eventually thrown away. This is a waste of materials, time, and energy that doesn’t happen with digital printing.

Quick Fixing

With digital printing, it is easy to start over in case of an error. Correcting an error in offset printing, however, means disposing an entire print batch and correcting the used plates, and this can be a costly mistake. But digital printers allow for easily automated corrections, making it cheap and consistent.

When to use offset printing:

  • For printing sheets larger than 29”, like posters and banners.
  • For color consistency that requires precision.
  • Offset prices decrease gradually on bulk orders over 2,000 pieces.

To explore your printing options with digital or offset printing contact us today! Order as little as 25 Business Cards.