A number of studies have shown that personalized direct mail allows small and midsize businesses, as well as large corporations, to achieve significantly higher open and response rates than traditional direct mail.
According to the Direct Marketing Association, personalized direct mail has a response rate of between 12% and 15% compared of a 4.4% response rate for traditional direct mail.
According to a 2016 InfoTrends study, “over 84% reported that personalization made them more likely to open a direct mail piece. Personalization has become a powerful direct mail tactic that is relatively easy to incorporate.”
What Makes Personalized Direct Mail So Effective?
Personalized direct mail essentially shifts the focus off of your company and places it on the client or prospective customer. An effective personalized direct mail campaign is one that delivers the right message to the right person at the right time in the buying cycle.
That may sound like a complicated proposition, but as a data-driven process, it’s actually much simpler than you might think. Personalized direct mail uses a variety of new technologies, including QR codes and Bar codes to precisely target prospects based on their unique tastes and purchase history.
The end result is a prospect who feels valued and appreciated and is therefore much more likely to respond to your message.
Personalized Direct Mail Elements for Success
Here are the basic keys to running a successful personalized direct mail campaign.
Data Integrity
When building your personalized direct mail list, focus on collecting accurate, timely data. Nothing can derail your efforts like misspelled names and addresses.
Data Segmenting
Personalization encompasses much more than name recognition. You also need to focus on where your prospect is the buying cycle (lead generation, lead nurturing and customer retention/loyalty) and tailor your message accordingly.
Effective Messaging
Of the more than 900 U.S. consumers who participated in the InfoTrends study, “Over 84% reported that personalization made them more likely to open a direct mail piece.” Don’t squander the opportunity by presenting prospects with a bland, or worse still, confusing message.
The KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach to sales applies to personalized direct mail just as it does to other sales campaigns. Your messaging should create a sense of urgency and should include a straightforward value proposition and call to action.
Finally, remember that “a picture is worth a thousand words” and modern digital photography, design, and printing techniques provide you with almost limitless opportunities to create stunning and highly compelling images.
Give us a call at 817-336-5551 to learn more about our personalized direct mail services for businesses in the Dallas / Fort Worth area.