The Five “Do’s” of Personalizing Your Direct-Mail Campaign

Each week most people receive a stack of miscellaneous letters in the mail, which are often quickly sorted into piles unofficially marked “keep” and “trash.”

As a marketer, if you’re hoping to convert potentials into customers and drive sales, you’re piece of collateral must find its way into the keep pile.

The brochures, catalogs, letters, and postcards that earn a second glance all have some common denominators: many of these parcels are uniquely personal to the recipient. Personalization is a powerful way to ensure that your direct mail captures the attention of your target audience. Follow these do’s to achieve a highly effective and personalized direct mail campaign:

1. Do take advantage of niche markets.

Ensure that your message is relevant and strikes the right cord by sending it to a specific target audience rather than a blanket group. Language that is customized based on occupation (e.g. doctors, lawyers, students, etc.) or contextual factors (new homeowners, retirees, expecting couples, etc.) is more likely to receive a response.

2. Do use PURLs to track activity.

Display a personalized URL (PURL) on each recipient’s direct mail package. That way, each member of your campaign can visit an interactive webpage, especially designed for them. Not only does this allot each recipient with VIP treatment, but it gives you an opportunity to track their activity and learn more about their unique needs.

3. Do emphasize values and interests.  

A paying customer wants a product or service. A returning paying customer wants to feel understood and valued. Use clever images, words, or fonts that connect with your target audience psychologically. For instance, you can stress principles that your ideal customers share, like being family-oriented or taking pride in their homes.

4. Do your research.

Customized direct-mail campaigns have the highest rate of return. Still, you also want to practice smart, resourceful marketing. Personalized campaigns can be pricey. It’s best to narrow down and segment your audience as well as generate a message that aligns with your particular marketing goals. Then, go further and track the effectiveness of various marketing collateral. By doing this you ensure that the marketing dollars you invest go to the right prospects. After all, a personalized message has little to no value in the wrong hands.

5. Do personalize based on level of commitment.

The greater the investment, the more customized the service. Higher-ticket products and services should accompany more personal and detailed direct mail. For instance, a personalized URL (PURL) might be useful for a long-standing customer whose shopping habits demonstrate they are currently in the market for your products or services. In the same vein, you also want to personalize at varying levels based on where customers are in the buying cycle. That is, loose potentials receive generic personalization whereas high response prospects receive specially-tailored packages with strong calls to action (CTAs).

Lastly, as you implement all of these effective methods of personalizing a direct mail campaign, one important “don’t” to remember is don’t get too personalized. Sending a piece of mail with one’s credit score, social security number, names of children, etc., can push the boundary from personalized to invasive.

Implement these do’s into your direct mail marketing strategy to maximize its effectiveness. Make existing customers and potential targets feel like you truly understand them and their needs, and not only will you grab their attention but perhaps also their business.

Contact The frank Agency today for any help regarding your direct-mail marketing needs!