As a service provider, you have all the tools and technology available to help your customers execute successful direct mail efforts. However, in order to impress your customers and prospects, you need some new and creative ideas. This is where you have the opportunity to step in and create unique personalized direct mail pieces for your customers. Rather than being solely the backend production process, you need to show your customers you can do more. Your customers want to see what your technology can do for them, and how it will help them reach their overall marketing and sales goals.

One of the best ways to make this happen when it comes to personalization and direct mail is to present ideas that demonstrate an understanding of data and a healthy dose of creativity. This includes sharing practical ideas of personalization that apply to their particular business.

If you are looking to personalize direct mail pieces for your customers, here are three ideas worth considering. Perhaps they'll help to inspire you to sell more personalized solutions to your clients!

Consider the location of the recipient and design the materials accordingly.
By taking a look at the recipient's location, you should be able to identify a data element that could be converted to personalized content. For example, if you are sending direct mail to promote a customer's retail store, gym, or another physical location, you could personalize the piece to show just how close the person is to that spot. This could be represented graphically, via a map, or simply in text (i.e. "you are less than 2 miles away!").

When targeting previous customers, appeal to that and possibly reference their past purchase(s).
If you are sending direct mail pieces to your client's existing customers, you truly have no excuse not to personalize the materials. Gather the data and take the time to look at their purchase history. With that data, you should be able to ensure that the promotions and offers on the direct mail piece are truly relevant to each one of their customers.

Based on demographics, select color(s) that may appeal to each group.
This one may take a bit more research and creativity. But there certainly are studies out there regarding the effect that certain colors may have on different groups of people. If you can find a way to use the right ones for the segments inside of your customer's target audience, you should be able to increase the overall response rates.

All in all, there are plenty of ways to uniquely personalize direct mail pieces for your customers. What's important to both you and your customers is that the pieces you create stand out from the masses and truly appeal to the audience being targeted. To begin doing so, take a look at data and channel your inner creativity. You'll be amazed at how well a little extra unique personalization pays off, and your customers will be thrilled with the results!

About John Foley, Jr.
John Foley, Jr. is the CEO of interlinkONE and Grow Socially. interlinkONE and Grow Socially work together to provide guidance and personalized online marketing solutions designed to help customers grow their business. John and his team help their customers maximize their direct marketing efforts through consulting services and software that allows for the execution of marketing campaigns, personalized URLs, public storefronts, inventory management, web to print services, and variable data publishing. Learn more about John at www.JohnFoleyJr.com, and his companies at www.interlinkONE.com and GrowSocially.
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