Month: June 2014

Variable Data Printing for Higher Customer Engagement

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Many people have noticed that business is becoming too de-personalized and detached lately. With the online technology and the constant inundation with information, customers start to feel as if they are only a very small element of the overall picture, which discourages them from making purchasing decisions or being in any way attached to the brand, company or product. Even when the attachment is already there, few clients enjoy receiving general messages in generic correspondence inside generic envelopes. Given the amount of information your potential or current customers receive every day, it is easy to get lost in the crowd. One of the ways in which iti Direct Mail works with you to ensure that this doesn’t happen is through variable data printing for higher customer engagement.

What is variable data printing?

This is a method that is based on sophisticated and complex use of mail merges to lettersproduce highly customized and targeted messaging. Employing variable data printing for higher customer engagement is an increasingly popular approach due to its contribution to putting the personal touch back into the business. The iti Direct Mail methodology allows you to create numerous variations of your correspondence that goes far beyond simply changing the recipient’s name and address for every new letter. This approach makes it possible to replace entire sections of a multi-page letter according to a set of rules based on age, location, profession, purchasing history and so on and so forth. Images, including those of a signature, can also vary as needed.

Why should I choose iti Direct Mail for variable data printing?

At iti Direct Mail, we take pride in what we do. We understand the importance of using variable data printing for higher customer engagement, and we have been in this line of business for years, producing top-quality results for a variety of clients. One of our competitive advantages is that we do not require a high minimum order – in fact, our minimum, at only 50 pieces, is the lowest you will find in the industry. This gives you an opportunity to test out this approach before widening your efforts. Another advantage lies in the use of real physical stamps instead of coded printing on envelopes, as well as a vast collection of handwritten fonts to create a personalized and humanized feel to your letter. This last element, the handwritten font, can even be based on your very own handwriting – just let us know that you would be interested in this unique service offering.

How should I proceed?

We take the time to listen to every customer’s needs. Before you dive into the world of variable data printing for higher customer engagement, we make sure we know about your goals, requirements and other features that would enable us to provide you with the highest level of service. Our commitment to complete customer satisfaction means that we work with you through every step of the way, providing every opportunity for feedback and verification so that the end result not only meets, but exceeds your expectations. Contact iti Direct Mail today to start the journey.

 

The Future of Print Marketing is Better Than Ever

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Okay, by now we can agree that print marketing is not dead. In fact, it’s still very much alive, and the future of print marketing is looking better and better. Although digital marketers say that print is dead, it’s time they realized that it’s not, and it probably will never die, not completely.

For hundreds of years, print was the world’s primary marketing and information tool. Then the digital age came and almost eliminated the need for print marketing, but not the desire.

Print Marketing is Not Needed Anymore???

Although print marketing is not technically “needed” anymore because of digital media, there is a twist. The twist is that for centuries print was our only choice, and it became expected, but now the digital age has relieved the burden of the print industry to deliver all the necessary information. Print no longer has to, or needs to, tell the entire story by itself.

All print marketing has to do is create desire and intrigue to motivate a response by focusing on one single advertising purpose, for one specific target audience. Companies can use digital media to take care of all the rest of their marketing needs.

Digital Marketing has Redeemed Print Marketing

“Print marketing is not needed,” is a sentiment that makes it even more powerful than it was before. Because it is the unexpected it gets noticed. It’s a novelty, if you will. There are some other points about print marketing to consider, as well:

• Print marketing isn’t bound by a computer, iPad or Smartphone screen. It can have shape and texture and will not be delayed by a computer glitch.

• Printed marketing materials can relay information in a way that digital copy and design can’t, and it can tell its own story, which makes the consumer feel that they’re important to the business.

• The internet has taken over a lot of business aspects including advertising, marketing and processing. Things are now a lot easier when you compare the amount of work that goes into printing materials, to digitally sending materials.

• Even though this is true, newsletter printing services are still around, and are still a big business all over the country. You can attribute this to all the benefits of traditional newsletters over digital newsletters.

Digital Newsletters vs. Printed Newsletters

newslettersPeople get tons of email every day, and they find it almost impossible to read every one of them. Therefore, sending of newsletters through email means that there is little chance that people will read them, making them less effective for businesses compared to printed newsletters.

Remember that:
• People get tired of receiving newsletters in their inbox and they mark them as spam to get rid of them, or they unsubscribe to stop receiving them.

• Reading newsletters on the computer is harder on the eyes than reading a traditional newsletter printed on paper.

• Since people get bombarded with digital media, what they read doesn’t stay with them as long as it does when they read printed material.

The future of print marketing is more attractive and cost-effective for companies because of the above mentioned qualities and challenges of digital media. There is a future for print media, it has its niche and fulfills needs and overcomes obstacles that digital media simply cannot.

 

Top Ten Tips for Successful Direct Mail Marketing

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  • Work with Professionals. The folks over at Entrepreneur.com have some pretty great tips on doing direct mail right, but some of the best are about who designs the mail out itself. Hiring a professional copywriter, graphic designer, and/or direct mail marketing specialist gets your campaign off on the right footing. The right wording and interesting graphics that marry well are crucial.
  • Think Free. People love receiving free samples in the mail. Including this in yourdirect-mail mail-out generates interest and makes it less likely that it will be thrown away.
  • Narrow the scope. Instead of mailing to everyone possible, one of the best things a company can do is to determine their target demographic, and only sending promotional material to them. It saves money that can be used elsewhere.
  • Stamp it up. Marketing companies have known for a while that people are more likely to open mail when the envelope has a stamp on it, rather than one that has metered postage. It’s an extra step that makes the campaign seem more personalized and less like mass marketing.
  • Understand your customers. This is the first tip that Experian recommends everyone do. By understanding not only the type of customer you want to attract but also the ones you already have, it can help you determine the best strategy for generating interest and gaining new business. Some of the worst marketing disasters have come when companies did not grasp this concept.
  • Include something useful. Small Business Trends offered this advice, “Along with your sales/marketing message, include something like a pen. Those who are on the receiving end are at least 50% more likely to keep the pen, and in doing so, you’ll remain in their house in the future, used or not. ”
  • Make it creative. Another great tip from Small Business Trends, making your mail-out creative allows your company to stand out from the pack. You want to give people a reason to keep it around and one of the best ways is by making it visually interesting.
  • Include in your website. If your creative insert has gathered their interest, the first thing most people do these days is hop online to research the company. Having the website on their makes it easier for them to find you and learn more about you.
  • Keep it clean. By utilizing the white space appropriately and eliminating excess words, the mail-out looks clean and easy-to-read. When people open up an envelope and see something that looks akin to the opening of War and Peace they are more likely to throw it away.
  • Personalize, personalize, personalize. Whether it is including a handwritten note, or having their names on it (if they are on a company mailing list, etc.), by personalizing each piece of direct mail it greatly increases the return on the your investment. People hate mass marketing and companies that recognize this often reap the rewards.

Many companies use direct mail, but the key is to stand out amongst the crowd. If you want your mailers to be effective, you have to strategize, plan and research before you start mailing.